VALDOSTA — The woman who made “The Nutcracker” a South Georgia tradition for decades and dance a way of life for generations of families has died.

Linda C. Chase presented her choreographed version of Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” for more than 40 years. She first presented the show, featuring young, local dancers, in the weeks after President Richard Nixon’s reelection to the White House. She stopped a few years ago when she sold her Dance Arts studio, though the show has continued each year since.

Chase died Monday, April 8, after a long battle with lung cancer, according to her obituary. She was 77.

Valdosta’s “Nutcracker” featured the original choreography of Chase, who studied dance in the legendary Ballanchine format in New York.

Born in 1942, the daughter of David and Jane Willard, Linda heard a record of “Sleeping Beauty” playing on a Victrola as a young child.

In a past interview, she recalled several moments leading to her life in dance, especially walking up the stairs to a second-floor dance studio in Red Bank, N.J.

A downtown building ran by renowned Russian ballerina Hela Slavinska.

Slavinska often spoke in Russian to young Linda Willard and her other small child dancers, but she also spoke in the language of ballet terminology. Linda learned the French terms for her art at a young age.

In 1955, the Willards moved to Jacksonville, Fla. Her father took a new job assignment. Many of her father’s clients were based in Valdosta, a connection which would not have an enduring significance for Linda for another decade.

In Jacksonville, Linda started middle school, but her dance studies continued.

At 13, Linda joined the Ballet Guild of Jacksonville, under the direction of Betty Hyatt Ogilvie. Ogilvie had danced with the New York City Ballet and had studied under the great George Balanchine.

Given this connection, Ogilvie arranged for some of her students to train under Balanchine’s teachers from Russia during summer programs. For four summers, Linda trained with the Balanchine teachers in New York.

By 1959, Linda Willard had caught the eye of the legend himself.

George Balanchine was a genius of ballet. An artist who created his own unique style of dance.

“Balanchine was no-nonsense,” Chase said in a past interview with The Valdosta Daily Times. “When he walked into a room, everybody stood at attention. He wasn’t mean or nasty, but he was very businesslike. He knew what he wanted and knew what he expected. He was very challenging. He would push you to meet your own abilities. He would ask for something, and you would do it.”

In 1959, Balanchine allowed Linda the chance for a personal audition at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre. He regularly awarded a dozen spots to attend what was the premier ballet school in America. After watching Linda Willard’s audition, he made an exception that year and took 13. Linda was that 13th pupil. She moved to New York City.

Balanchine rarely gave praise but “when he did, you knew it came from his heart,” Chase said. “He was an incredible person to work with.”

She studied under Balanchine for only four months.

At the age of 18, Linda fell in love and married. She left Balanchine’s prestigious training for love, and Linda Chase said in 2009 she has never regretted the decision.

“I did so much dancing as a teenager,” she said. “That was my life from 15 to 18 years old. I did so much as far as dancing and performing goes. Saturdays and Sundays practicing in the studio. I was happy with the change.”

Yet, she did not leave dance.

She eventually moved to Valdosta, divorced and married Ted Chase. In 1970, Linda Chase started her first Valdosta dance group in The Crescent’s auditorium.

In 1972, she held the first performance of her choreographed production of “The Nutcracker.” From 1972-79, Chase not only led the production, she performed in it, dancing as the Sugar Plum Fairy. In 1980, she started hiring people or selecting a student to dance the lead.

Chase was a stickler for detail. Rehearsals for “The Nutcracker” regularly started during the summer months though the performances were regularly the first week of December. She was involved in everything from the choreography to repairing the soles of ballet shoes.

Dance was her life.

She even signed off in her letters and emails with “Dancingly Yours.”

Services are scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday, April 13, at Park Avenue United Methodist Church. Visitation is 5-8 p.m. Friday at Carson McLane Funeral Home.