Douglas County youth will share the stage Sunday with the Sugarplum Fairy and other fleet-footed characters as the Eugene Ballet Co. again brings residents “The Nutcracker.” The ballet company has presented the production for 18 years at Jacoby Auditorium on the Umpqua Community College campus. Each performance has featured roughly 50 area youth, almost all girls and all between 6 and 18 years old, playing supporting roles in the ballet. Dancers try out for the parts of ladybugs, baby mice, party guests and sunflowers. Chitwood Studio owner Susan Chitwood rehearses with the dancers for two months before the performance. Seventh-grader …




