Ronn Guidi perched on a wooden stool with thoughtful attention as he watched the dancers float by. His voice was gentle and melodic as he coaxed the students along, step by step, pirouette by pirouette.

After a few minutes, he stopped them in middance, walking to the center of the room. All the dancers immediately crowded around him like children eagerly awaiting a bedtime story. Guidi, 70, spoke softly but sternly, like a disappointed father.

"How can you dance properly if you don't know the music?" he asked at a recent rehearsal. "You all need to take responsibility to live inside the music. Good dancers, successful dancers, know their music. The dancer and the music must become one."

With this, he walked back to his stool, and the dancers shuffled back to their spots. The scene started again from the beginning, as Guidi watched intently. After a run-through, he gathered the dancers together again.

"This scene is about Maria's dream. It is her first awakening," he said. The scene is "Waltz of the Flowers" from Pytor Illych Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker." Guidi, a hills resident, founder of the Oakland Ballet and mastermind behind the famous East Bay "Nutcracker" production, is busy at his Laurel district studio preparing the dancers.

Guidi's "Nutcracker" is returning to the Paramount Theatre Dec. 22-24 in Oakland for its 34th season. He has committed an immense amount of time and work to bring the production back to life.

The board at the Ronn Guidi Foundation for the Performing Arts also has been working tirelessly to revive "Nutcracker."

One of the foundation's biggest feats has been reaching $160,000 in donations for the production's $200,000 budget, according to Guidi. The reminder will be made up in ticket sales, according to a foundation spokesman.

"I was very straightforward to those I was seeking donations from, especially friends. I would say, 'I have come to see you and your money,' and it is amazing the response I have gotten."

Several businesses, friends, and private donors have been generous to the foundation. One anonymous donor gave $10,000. Chevron Corp. donated $10,000 and purchased 500 tickets for each performance, a total of 2,000, to go to underprivileged children.

"While we were delighted to help bring this holiday tradition back to families throughout the East Bay, we also wanted to make ballet more accessible to kids who may not be able to afford admission," said Matt Lonner, public affairs manager for Chevron. "We hope that this partnership with the Ronn Guidi Foundation will instill in these kids an appreciation and passion for the arts."

In Guidi's mind, if he was going to bring back his production, he was going to do it right, and make sure that this year's audiences have the same experience they had 34 years ago. Besides including most of the old sets and costumes, the "Nutcracker" will feature live music from the Oakland East Bay Symphony.

"Dancing on stage, we are only a few feet away from the orchestra, so we can not only hear but feel the music," said Denise Roman, a principal dancer in the "Nutcracker" production. "Ronn always made it a priority to have the live orchestra. If there wasn't enough money, he would take money from his own pocket to pay for it."

Roman and her husband, Joral Schmalle, have both danced for Guidi for many years. Schmalle has been helping Guidi run "Nutcracker" rehearsals since 1986, while Roman dances, motivating the younger dancers.

For Guidi, his Oakland Ballet Academy is his family. He connects with each of his dancers, and they always seem to come back, even when they have left for other companies or moved away.

So how does Guidi picture opening night? He likens the "Nutcracker" audience to those that attend the circus when it comes to town. They aren't necessarily the typical ballet crowd, but they never hesitate to use their imaginations.

"My production is intimate," Guidi said. "The dancers communicate with the audience, telling them they must believe the Nutcracker will come alive or else it won't happen."

Much like the production, Guidi and his foundation have had a lot of believing to do in the past year. In their case, the magic has happened and will continue.

"Yes, my 'Nutcracker' will be back," he said. "I want to keep the tradition alive."

All performances are being presented by the Ronn Guidi Foundation for the Performing Arts.

© 2006 ContraCostaTimes.com and wire service sources.