Elkins Park students, 5th grader Melecio Amaro and 6th grader Julian Johnson, along with Glenside 3rd grader Jace Johnson (Julian’s brother) will be performing in the Philadelphia Ballet’s December run of Balanchine’s  “The Nutcracker” at the Academy of Music.

Melecio Amaro, member of Jenkintown’s Metropolitan Ballet Company, takes gymnastics and studies jujitsu and Melecio attends Metropolitan through its boys’ scholarship program, which provides tuition-free dance training in all-male classes designed to enhance athletic skills, motor intelligence, balance, flexibility and strength.

The students will perform in 10 shows during the production run: Friday, Dec. 17, 7 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 18, noon and 5 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 19, noon and 5 p.m.; Monday, Dec. 27, noon and 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2 p.m.; and Wednesday, Dec. 29, noon and 5 p.m. You can order tickets here.