Chorale sings in the season

The 80-voice strong Vashon Island Chorale will present “Celebration: Music for Chanukah and Christmas,” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, at Bethel Church.

The concert will include many beloved holiday chorale works as well as the world premiere of “Eight Days of Chanukah,” by Northwest composer Abraham Kaplan. Vashon Opera baritone Andrew Krikawa will solo in one of the movements of the piece.

The concert will also include several favorite Christmas carols, including Zoltan Kodály’s chant-inspired arrangement of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” popular versions of “Still, Still, Still,” “Carol of the Bells” and John Rutter’s raucous take on “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”

Tickets, $15 and $10, are on sale at the Blue Heron, Vashon Bookshop and www.brownpapertickets.com.

Dancers perform a classic

Vashon Allied Arts Center for Dance, under the artistic direction of Christine Juarez, will bring the timeless magic of Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker” ballet to the Vashon High School stage at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 7 and 8, and 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 8 and 9.

A special, abbreviated version of the ballet will be performed for school groups and toddlers at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7.

Sugar plum visions, dancing dolls and exotic foreign lands will fill the stage as Clara, played by young dancer Marisa McTighe, slumbers under the Christmas tree.

Tickets and more information are available at www.vashonalliedarts.org, or call 463-5131.