Stoke dancer Karla Doorbar speaks ahead of the Nutcracker at Birmingham Hippodrome

The show will celebrate its 500th performance this season as fans flock to the world-acclaimed production.

Fans can look forward to The Nutcracker's classic story with glorious dancing and instantly recognisable music played by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia. The show has captured the hearts and imaginations of generations of theatregoers and become an annual tradition for many.

Dancer Karla Doorbar has more reason than most to look forward to the show. She will be dancing the role of Clara and she can't wait.

Karla was born in Stoke-on-Trent and trained at the Jenny Brennan School of Dance and the Royal Ballet School. She was a finalist at the 2011 Genée International Ballet Competition and was awarded the Dame Ninette de Valois award on graduating from the Royal Ballet School. She danced in The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake and The Nutcracker with The Royal Ballet. She joined Birmingham Royal Ballet in 2011 and was promoted to First Artist in 2015.

Karla says Clara is a dream role – one that she hoped to play when she watched The Nutcracker as a child from the stalls of The Hippodrome.

"I've done The Nutcracker for a few years now and it's a very magical piece. It's very Christmassy. Clara was one of the roles that I dreamed about playing. I feel like every show I get to dance that I'm in a magical land and I feel great. And I guess another reason I enjoy it so much is because I love Christmas so much."

Karla says Clara's character comes to the forefront in her interpretation. "It's all about her story. And the dancing is beautiful, of course, because I get to dance Sugar Plum. It's all about the ballerina technique. You have to have the perfect definition of a ballerina. But Clara has such a great character and I can really get my teeth into that."

Karla started visiting The Hippodrome as a young girl. "I feel as though I've been coming here all of my life. The stage is big, it's great. The first ballet I saw, in fact, was The Nutcracker. I didn't ever imagine that I would get here. That was when I very first started ballet and I came and saw the show. There were some little kids in it who were played by my friends.

"I was so jealous while I was watching. It was brilliant. You dream about it but you never think it'll happen."

Karla has been dedicated to her profession for many years and even left home at the age of 11 to train. "I started properly in Stoke when I was nine or 10. I was sent to auditions at Royal Ballet School and Elmhurst and I got a place at both.

"My parents weren't expecting it. I left home at 11 and went to London and trained at Royal Ballet School for eight years. It's a lot of hard work."

She has high praise for Sir David Bintley, the artistic director of BRB. "David is always looking to try new things, which is great.

"He's great to work with.I think there's a great variety."

By Andy Richardson