It started out as an idea between two educators who enjoy the &uot;Nutcracker.&uot; Now, more than 100 students are involved in a holiday production of the ballet, which will take place on Friday at Pickard Auditorium

Two of the performances will take place at 9 a.m. and 12 p.m, and are for school children only. A performance for the general public will take place at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 and will be purchased at the door.

The performance is sponsored by the Selma chapter of LINKS, Inc. It is the brainchild of Barbara Fears, chairman of the arts committee.

She used to work as a teacher at Edgewood Elementary and before she retired, they had a performance of the Nutcracker. Fears had such fond memories of the time.

Fears took the idea to Charlotte Griffeth, principal at Selma Middle CHAT Academy and co-chair of the committee. Together, they worked to make the production happen, said LINKS president Juanita Maxwell.

The students attend Selma Middle CHAT Academy, Clark Elementary and Edgewood Elementary. It is chroeographed by C.J. Martin, who owns a dance academy in Prattville.

Fears, who plays Mother Ginger in the production, said that LINKS’ main focus is to provide arts to the youth. It enriches their lives to have the arts be available to them, and it is shown by having them involved in productions such as the &uot;Nutcracker.&uot;