There’s a particularly heartwarming story backstage at “The Nutcracker” this year.

Two sisters will be performing in the ballet. But only one is a ballerina.

Kira Hubbard, a senior at South Whidbey High School, is the dance captain for Whidbey Dance Theatre, and is the only WDT member to have danced in all 10 “Nutcrackers.” In the 2002 production, Kira will perform a solo as the Flower Fairy in her farewell appearance.

Raina Hubbard, a bright student at South Whidbey Intermediate School, is 11 years old and has never danced. Raina has cerebral palsy, and has little control over her motor functions. She walks with assistance, but also needs a wheelchair to get around. She will appear in “The Nutcracker” as a little girl in the party scene.

“I’m very excited,” Raina said, signing her words as well as using Vanguard, an innovative augmented communications device that transforms words on a keyboard into an audible voice.

Raina had been in the audience of the ballet for several years, rapt and spellbound as she watched the colorful swirling skirts of the flowers, the special effects, the dramatic soldiers and the Rat King.

At first Raina was unable to hear the music. Then, two years ago, she received a cochlear implant.

“She could hear it for the first time, loud and beautiful,” said Ginny Green, Raina and Kira’s mother.

Raina also had written a poem named “Nutcracker Prince” in a class project, as well as a story about a “special thing” she had broken — her Nutcracker.

“I was dancing on the wood floor in my house when I slipped and fell because I had socks on my feet. I dropped my nutcracker, it broke!” Raina wrote.

The story continues: “My handsome nutcracker is special, I sleep with it. Santa Claus gave it to me! … It reminds me of when Kira danced in the Nutcracker.

“The dancing in the Nutcracker is fun to watch! I would love to be in it next year! I feel my kind heart when I remember my radiant Nutcracker prince.”

“Kira came to us and showed us Raina’s story,” said Susan Sandri, co-artistic director of Whidbey Dance Theatre. “She said it was Raina’s dearest wish to be part of ‘The Nutcracker’ someday. There was no question we would do it. Raina is in the studio all the time and we all love her. The only challenge would be to find a wheelchair that would fit in with the period of the scene.”

After a bit of networking, it was discovered that Seattle Children’s Theater had an antique wheelchair in its prop room. Green made the call asking to borrow it.

“I just picked up the phone and they said yes immediately,” Green said.

WDT choreographed Raina into the opening party scene of “The Nutcracker” as a cousin, and Gary Kay fixed up a new wheelchair seat with a head support especially to fit Raina.

Kira, who in addition to her solo will play a maid and an aunt in the party scene, will push her sister in the wheelchair, so the two will be on stage together.

Kira has performed in many different roles over the 10 years she has danced in “The Nutcracker,” ending in this final year with the challenging solo of The Flower Fairy.

“I started when I was in first grade in one of the little pink costumes, with just a couple of steps,” Kira said.

She has also danced as a snowflake (“lots of years”), flower, soldier, mouse, cousin, jester, Chinese dancer, mermaid and Clara.

“We remember all the costumes,” Green said. In fact, Raina will be wearing the same lavender dress in shiny fabric that Kira wore when she was a cousin.

“It’s exciting that Raina finally gets to be in the ballet,” Kira said. “We’re going to share the flowers.”