WEST SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - Holiday performances are just one of the many traditions that so eloquently put people into the holiday spirit. Among those performances in Sacramento this year will be two Christmas Ballets. ‘Nutcracker’ and ‘Christmas Angels’ will be performed by dancers from Deane Dance Center. Two starring roles in these ballets are held by River City High School students Jaynica Dacuycuy and Lira McDougall.

Jaynica Dacuycuy is a 16-year-old Junior at RCHS, who has been a West Sacramento resident her entire life. She is an Honor Roll student that has been dancing ballet since she was 5 years old. Introduced to dance by her sister and encouraged by her parents, Jaynica is now referred to as one of the best dancers from the Deane Dance Center. Jaynica is a member of the Sacramento Civic Ballet Company.

“I like ballet because everything in my life can go wrong and ballet will still be there,” said Jaynica, explaining how dance can be her escape. This year Jaynica will be performing her first senior lead role in each of the two Christmas ballets. Jaynica will be performing the Rose in the Waltz of the Flower in the narrated, one-act version of ‘Nutcracker.’ In addition, she will be playing a lead role in a second one-act ballet called ‘Christmas Angels,’ which tells the Christmas Story in dance to traditional Christmas carols.

Jaynica says she plans on keeping dance in her life after high school and would like to eventually teach ballet as her passion is choreography. She would like to go after a double major, in Dance and Pharmacology.

Lira Glanker is a Senior at RCHS who is very busy right now applying to colleges where she can go after a Mechanical Engineering degree. Lira is bouncing between excitement and sadness about the upcoming performances. She explained what a magical experience performing is, and this will be her final performance before graduation.

“The colleges I’m looking at aren’t really known for their dancing programs, so I will probably just find a nearby studio so that I can keep dancing,” Lira said. Lira has been dancing since age 3 and has performed approximately three times a year since then. She explained that as dancers gets older, they have fewer roles, but they are bigger.

“My favorite thing about ballet is how interesting it is how each dancer portrays each character. You can express feelings, emotions or moods and never say a word,” Lira said. Lira will be dancing the role of Elizabeth in ‘Christmas Angels’ and the role of lead Spanish in the ‘Nutcracker.’

The Sac Civic Ballet Company was founded by the late Barbara Crockett, who went on to also found the Sacramento Ballet Company. The Directors are Don Schwennesen, Linda Yun and Alyson Deane, former principal of the San Francisco Ballet and Barbara Crockett’s daughter.

This year’s holiday performances of ‘Nutcracker’ and ‘Christmas Angels’ will be Saturday, December 17 at 7:00 PM and Sunday, December 18 at 2:00 PM. Performances will be at 2300 Sierra Blvd, Sacramento 95825. Prices are $15 - $20. Tickets are available at the door or at deanedancecenter.com 916-453-0225.