GULF SHORES, Alabama — Mystical notes from “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” fill the mind’s eye with images of nutcracker dolls, little Clara in her white nightgown, exotic costumes from Spanish to Arabian, a wonderland filled with snowflakes, point shoes, period dresses whirling at a Christmas party and an evil mouse king battling the steadfast soldier.

Yes, it’s Christmas time again, and the famous “Nutcracker” ballet twirls back to the Gulf Coast while one ballet instructor dedicates herself to teaching the holiday tale and perfecting the performing arts.

Kathleen Tucker, director at Gulf Coast Ballet, said she owned and instructed at a large dance academy on the West Coast for 20 years. The school had approximately 350 students.

“I was not able to present ‘Nutcracker’ or other classical story ballets when I had a large school — I would have had to break too many hearts because everyone could not have danced, and one little broken heart is too many,” she said with a sigh. “Now, if GCB can just not grow too much more, we can present ‘Nutcracker’ each Christmas and a classical story ballet each spring.

“It is an amazing amount of work and expense, but my instructors, my family, a few friends and I are happy to donate our time and talents to give dancers the experience of being part of a beautiful holiday tradition that has gone on for several hundred years. When my dancers are old ladies pushing their walker through the store at Christmas time and hear Tchaikovsky’s lovely music, I want them transported back to a time they floated across stage as a Snowflake or tumbled out of Mother Ginger’s skirts as a Bonbon. Out Little Lambs, in Dance of the Reed Flutes, are only 3 years old. If they continue to dance with us through high school, they will dance most every roll in ‘Nutcracker.’ Of course, everyone is not a prima ballerina, so we simply adjust the choreography to fit the dancers. We open the acting parts to the community, sometimes even pressing reluctant fathers into service, and we accept dancers from any school that want to participate. It is great when a whole family is on stage together — what a great memory they are creating.”

Tucker said that she instills more than dance as she teaches children, but that many already possess caring spirits and positive attitudes — aspects of the area help her enjoy her work even more.

“After retirement we spent six years sailing the Pacific, then several years seeing the U.S.A. by motorhome, and ended up settling here in Alabama,” she explained. “We miss the scenery and cool summers in Pacific Northwest, but love the people and the food here on the Gulf.

“I have had Gulf Coast Ballet for five and a half years and cannot tell you how much I enjoy it. I have always specialized in teaching children, and I am blessed to have excellent instructors teaching our preteens, teens and adults. The children in this community are so incredibly nice … just so nice to me and each other. I have seen 4-year-olds walk across the room to introduce themselves to a nervous new student, I have a 3-year-old class that applaud whenever a dancer attempts a difficult task and, at that age, everything in dance is difficult. The older girls are always offering smiles of encouragement to each other; they are not competitive; there is no petty bickering. The older girls so sweetly support the younger ones. I believe the parents and schools of this community are doing an excellent job raising their children.”

One student, Mary-Grace Reeves, said she owes many accomplishments and encouragements to Tucker.

“For the past four years, I have had the pleasure of being a student in the most advanced point and ballet technique classes at Gulf Coast Ballet. I still remember the first time I met Mrs. Tucker. She creates an incredibly welcoming atmosphere in her ballet studio, which enables students to achieve their full potential,” Reeves spoke with a warm tone. “I believe that there is no studio with a group of girls as encouraging towards one another and kind as those at Gulf Coast Ballet, and this stems from Mrs. Tucker’s caring attitude towards her students.

“Mrs. Tucker has a spirit of adventure, which she often incorporates as she challenges her students to be their best. As a student at Gulf Coast Ballet, I have been able to master the difficult — Arabesque, developpe, and pirouette. Also, because of Mrs. Tucker, I have had the opportunity to train under world-renowned ballet professionals. Lessons learned in dance do carry over to other aspects of life, because the dedication applied in learning ballet is also prevalent in life. Mrs. Tucker and her staff, Ms. Andrea Dickey, Mr. Bobby Biggs and Ms. April LaCour, inspire Gulf Coast Ballet students to never stop trying.”

While so many children and teens learn to control the movement of their bodies and discipline their minds, they also learn elements of character, love and teamwork. Despite the abundance of blessings associated with the art form, Tucker said she has been blessed beyond imagination.

“I believe I have the most wonderful job on Earth, I love to teach — to see a smile light up when a person strives and strives, then finally achieves, and then to help them understand they must continue to improve and never be satisfied with simply achieving,” she explained. “I love being with children; my memory is overflowing with precious moments they have given me, and I love the world of dance — the tie between movement and music.”

The Nutcracker will be staged at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Meyer Civic Center in Gulf Shores, and at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Foley Civic Center.