In the middle of a discussion of the revival of his well-loved "Nutcracker," Ronn Guidi, founder of the Oakland Ballet, dropped a bombshell: He plans to re-establish a professional ballet company in Oakland.

"I'm looking at it," he said. "I want to rebuild it slowly, re-establish the relationship with funders. It's possible to do it."

Guidi founded the company in 1965 and retired in 1998. Karen Brown, a former principal dancer with the Dance Theatre of Harlem, was hired as artistic director, but the company struggled financially and in 2005 it was disbanded.

"Eight years down the line (from retirement), my batteries are recharged," Guidi said.

He's starting with the "Nutcracker" revival.

"I ran into a friend shopping in Rockridge and she said, 'You better bring the 'Nutcracker' back. My grandchildren want to see it.'" After several others made the request, he decided to take it on. The ballet will run Dec. 22, 23 and 24 at the Paramount Theatre, with live music by members of the Oakland East Bay Symphony, conducted by Michael Morgan.

Chevron has donated $50,000 toward the $200,000 cost of the production. Guidi has also raised money from individuals and past donors. He's recruited dancers from professional companies in the area. Because some of them are performing in two or three other "Nutcrackers," they are rehearsing the ballet in pieces.

"It's like rehearsing pieces of a puzzle and then putting it together. It gives the dancers a little added income. Dancers live at the poverty level. I know I did," he said.

In addition to the "Nutcracker" production, Guidi purchased the Oakland Ballet warehouse of sets and costumes.

"My life is in that room," he said.

Guidi, who said he is 70 or 71 — "I'm in that area" — earned an international reputation for the Oakland Ballet, mining the classics of Ballet Russes and Russian choreographer Sergei Diaghilev. His revivals of Diaghilev's ballets, returning to the original colors and designs of sets and costumes, contributed to the preservation of his work.

"In some ways I'm a historian, especially for Diaghilev," he said. He has the erect posture and lean frame of a ballet dancer. In fact, he still dances "now and then."

"Dance is a wonderful artform," he said. Guidi, an Oakland native, said he was hooked when he was in the third or fourth grade.

"I saw a picture of a woman in pointe shoes and a man leaping over her in 'Swan Lake.' I said, 'I want to be that leaping man.'"

While he was in service, Guidi used to get up at 3 a.m. to practice ballet exercises so his fellow soldiers wouldn't know he was a dancer. The last day of boot camp, his sergeant asked how he could be slight and so strong.

"I told him I was a ballet dancer. He shook my hand and said he had respect for dancers," Guidi recalled.

Even after leaving as artistic director of the Oakland Ballet, he continued teaching ballet at his studio, the Oakland Ballet Academy in Oakland's Laurel district. He has about 200 students.

"Take a nice deep breath," he told students during an evening class. "Five and six and stretch out. Arms in second. Attitude swings. Be careful of your derriere. Remember your past is always behind you, getting bigger and bigger."

The students cracked up.

Livia DeGeorge watched her 16-year-old daughter, Maia Mileff, perform ballet exercises at the barre.

"Ronn was my teacher," she shared. "My daughter loves it here. I drive all the way from Orinda."

"I tell my students to dance because you love it," Guidi said. "If they want a career, I will help them, but I make sure they know they are short." He offered a sobering statistic — only 2 percent of professional ballet dancers are over 35.

Guidi plans to rebuild a professional company in Oakland slowly, hoping to have it in place for a 2009 anniversary concert celebrating the 100th anniversary of Ballet Russes.

"I want people to know the idea is bubbling out here," he said with his signature optimism. He's back.