On January 8, 1997, it is going to snow in Bermuda.

This is the prediction of David Allan, top American choreographer, whose popular version of "The Nutcracker'', performed by the National Dance Theatre of Bermuda, will open the 1997 Bermuda Festival at City Hall.

"It will be very beautiful, snow everywhere,'' he enthuses, "but I should warn parents that the snow will be of the strictly plastic variety -- and should not be ingested!'' In its most ambitious production yet, the company has entrusted the full-length version of Tchaikovsky's most-performed ballet to Mr. Allan, whose first work for the New York City Ballet was named by the New York Times as "one of the Top Ten Events of 1992''. He credits Bermuda as providing the venue for his very first piece of choreography -- a pas de deux mounted for the National Ballet of Canada at the 1984 Bermuda Festival. Thanks to an astute Louise Jackson (founder of Dance Theatre) who immediately invited him back to "help out with some teaching and to do a piece for her company'', he has been associated with the local group ever since. He has already set the second diverissement act, which was seen in the 1993 Festival.

Now, he has spent the past two weeks in Bermuda, completing the ballet, concentrating this time around on the Party Scene, the Battle Scene and the Transportation Scene when little Clara is whisked off by the Nutcracker Prince on a silvery sleigh to the Land of Snow and the Kingdom of Sweets. In December, he will return to supervise the finishing touches and to put visiting guest artists through their paces.

"I am very pleased with the way things are going,'' he pronounces, "although I do have an urgent plea. We desperately need some men to volunteer their services for the Party Scene. It's nothing too demanding -- just stately, fatherly figures who can do a spot of ballroom dancing, such as a waltz and a polka.'' His Nutcracker, based on the traditional Petipa/Ivanov version, has already been successfully staged for the Hartford Ballet and California's Riverside Ballet -- where he just finished a stint as artistic director.

"I've had to change remarkably little for Bermuda,'' he says. "The Snow Scene, for instance, is exactly the same as set for the Hartford Ballet. I've actually done five different versions of Nutcracker, so Bermuda is getting a bit of each! I can tell you that it's very humorous -- and has plenty of surprises, with `growing' trees, cannons roaring and explosions going off.

Audiences are going to love it.'' Mr. Allan points out that it is not so much the technique of the Bermuda dancers as the size constraints of the City Hall Theatre which is presenting difficulties.

"It's wonderful to be back in Bermuda again, but I must say, I was disappointed to see that, another year later, the Bermudiana Hotel is still sitting there, going to ruin. I think it would be such a wonderful place to build a proper arts centre. Bermuda has so much talent, but desperately needs somewhere to show it off.'' Since his visit here last year, David Allan has worked on the world premiere of a new ballet for Ballet Pacifica in California. "And, even as we speak, my ballet `Pastoral Dances', which I created for New York City Ballet in 1994, is being performed by Atlanta Ballet on their visit to South Korea.'' His most exciting news, however, is that the dancer-turned-choreographer who found himself, at the age of only 26, teaching Nureyev on his visits to the National Ballet of Canada, has now been offered a professorship with the University of California.

"If I take up the offer -- and I'm 95 percent certain I shall -- I'll be following in some illustrious footsteps, as the university has never re-offered it to anyone since the days of Eugene Loring (choreographer of "Billy the Kid'') and the great Antony Tudor, so that is quite an honour.'' Mr. Allan is confident that, now he has set the entire ballet for Dance Theatre, his work will be "in good hands'' until he returns in December.

"I'm so indebted to the people who are looking after things while I'm away.

Conchita Ming (director) is truly amazing, handling all the correspondence, applying for permits and so on, and generally making sure that it all happens.

Heather Shrubb is training all the kids, helped by Sal Hodgson. Mary Faulkenberry is taking care of the actual dancing while I'm away. I've been really thrilled to work with her. I'm not sure if people realise that she was a fantastic principal dancer with the Houston Ballet -- Bermuda is very fortunate to have her. I couldn't do this huge production without these people.'' David Allen