SALISBURY — The Salisbury Community Nutcracker ballet brings together young people from multiple age groups to create an entertaining night for attending family and lasting memories for the performers.

Right before the holiday, students from Salisbury High School partner with elementary school students to put on the production. It’s truly a Salisbury community effort as Marching Hornets band members and dance students work with students from nearby elementary schools to give everyone a part they can be proud of.

Amoni Bellamy and Sah-Rinity Reevey are third graders at Hurley Elementary. For two nights in a row last week, they got to take part in an evening they won’t soon forget, performing as dancing snowflakes in the Nutcracker.

“It felt amazing,” Bellamy said. “My family came and saw me dancing … and brought me flowers.”

Bellamy admits that she dances a lot, even without the star-fueled promise of post-production bouquets.

“At my own house, I always dance,” Bellamy said.

Reevey added that for her, it was the first time that she had ever gotten to be on stage dancing in a performance, but that she likes to dance in her free time with her sister.

Bellamy and Reevey were among the third graders from Hurley Elementary School who were selected to dance in the Nutcracker performance. The moves they performed were choreographed with the help of Salisbury High School dance students like sophomore Kaliyah Laster and senior Zyion Clinding.

“I was a Spanish dancer and was also in the Arabian scene with my Salisbury dance class,” Laster said.

Meanwhile, Clinding was the Snow Queen. The snowflakes, like Bellamy and Reevey, served to set the scene for Clinding’s emergence on stage. Working with elementary school students was different, but it provided a worthwhile spark for the high schoolers.

“They were very energetic and excited to be learning the new material,” Laster said.

Clinding added, “When I first worked with them, they were more calm and closed off, but once we started going on stage, they became really open.”

Working with younger students, Laster and Clinding indicated that it was important to be mindful of their own behavior as they were serving as role models for the little ones.

“You have to watch what you do because they are backstage with us,” Laster said. “We basically have to project what we are telling them to do.”

Still, the experience is one both students cherish. While Laster has a couple more years to participate, this year was the last time that Clinding will be able to take part in the annual performance.

“It is kind of bittersweet to be in the Nutcracker for the last time,” Clinding said. “I have been dancing since elementary school. It is kind of sad that this is my last Nutcracker.

“It was fun to have the experience to teach the kids because half the time, I was the one being taught.”

In addition to the dancers, Salisbury High School’s band plays an integral role in the performance. Drum Major Austin Massaquoi knows a thing or two about being on stage.

“Once you are out there and just zone into what you are doing, you don’t really notice the people who are watching you,” Massaquoi said. “You just do what you gotta do and get out.”

He really enjoyed working with elementary students like Kingsten Brown, who was a member of the Marching Toy Soldiers.

“I was nervous,” Brown said. “Practicing made me not as nervous.”

Donning a uniform made Brown proud to be part of the production. On Thursday, he imitated his marching directions and could off “one, two, three, fire.”

Similarly, Massaquoi got a morale boost from his uniform.

“My suit was fire,” he said of his stage clothes.

The drum major said that being around younger students was also a boost.

“I liked talking to the kids,” Massaquoi said. “They were very energetic. Interacting with the kids was fun, and they were funny. They were good to be around and gave me a good laugh. I enjoyed it a lot.”

Massaquoi acknowledged that it takes a lot to bring the show together. The dancers rehearsed for months, and for the bandmates, the performance was a culmination of many long hours of practicing.

“We got to show what Mr. (William) Smith is doing, teaching the younger band and how much his teaching has helped them to put on a show,” Massaquoi said. “They were nervous, but after he talked to them, everyone went out there and performed very well. It was a good opportunity for people to see what we are doing out here.”

Students involved in the production were selected through the Communities in Schools (CIS) program, which was an organizing partner of the performance.

Through CIS representatives, students from North Rowan, Hanford-Dole, Isenberg and Hurley elementary schools were selected to take part in the Christmastime production.

Tameka Flores, who works at Hurley Elementary School, cherishes the artistic exposure that the program gives young students but also loves hearing from family members.

“The best part for me is the feedback from the parents and guardians,” Flores said. “A lot of times, parents might not know what their kids have inside them.”

Flores added that she has heard from some parents that they are considering encouraging their children to pursue creative careers like acting or dancing.

“(The students) get exposure to see all walks of life, shapes, sizes and shades of a dancer,” Flores said. “It shows them that no matter where you are from, you can be a dancer.

“Exposure to the arts in a community can be life-changing.”

The performance is made possible through the partnership with Triple Threat Dance Company. The Rowan Arts Council also joined Communities in Schools in sponsoring the event, which was assisted by the Community Arts Foundation.