Jeff Edwards, associate artistic director, left silhouette, and Septime Webre, artistic director, right silhouette, of the Washington Ballet , hold one of the last rehearsals of this year's Nutcracker production by the Washington Ballet at the Arc in SE Washington DC, Sunday, November 26, 2006. The production which includes around 300 dancers in three casts will be shown at the Warner Theater December 7 - 23. Septime Webre, artistic director of the Washington Ballet, features in his version of The Nutcracker, which is composed by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, references to Washington, D.C. and American history while following the traditional story line. The ballet is set in Washington in 1882 and opens in Georgetown mansion with well known figures from Washington's past like Frederick Douglas and George Washington. (Astrid Riecken/The Washington Times)