Lawrence.com

OAKLAND, CALIF. — Dana Stubblefield had a problem, surely one that never troubled Mikhail Baryshnikov.

The San Francisco 49ers' 6-foot-2, 315-pound defensive tackle was trying to squeeze into an extra-large red T-shirt for his ballet role as a soldier in "All-Star Night at the Nutcracker."

Pants? Forget it. There were none large enough to fit him, so his baby-blue sweats had to do. Stubblefield, who played collegiate ball at Kansas, may not cut the most graceful figure in his costume, but he knows this much about ballet: "You've got to be graceful. You can't use brute strength."

The show Friday night marked the 16th year that Bay-area pro athletes have performed alongside professional dancers, with proceeds going to the ballet's community outreach program.

Stubblefield's massive proportions aside, this was a serious production, signaling the start of the "Nutcracker" run for the Oakland Ballet. The athletes appeared in only two scenes and had one stipulation: no tights.

Tony La Russa is a veteran of the show, and everyone was counting on the St. Louis Cardinals' manager to make sure the ensemble of sports stars knew how to dance their parts.

La Russa lives in nearby Danville during the off-season. His 20-year-old daughter, Devon, is in the ballet, and his wife, Elaine, also participated in the public performance.

When La Russa arrived at the afternoon rehearsal - and he was an hour late - he was welcomed by those who know him from the ballet and the ballpark.

He went down the line shaking hands. But when Shawon Dunston reached out to greet him, the San Francisco outfielder got nothing in return. Apparently, La Russa had not forgotten the Giants' victory over the Cardinals in the National League Championship Series.

Aside from that, La Russa was all business.

"The goal every year is don't fall down," he said.

While La Russa was an old pro, the others needed work.

Dunston scratched his head as he tried to learn his part for the "Rats and Soldiers" battle scene. Oakland Athletics second baseman Mark Ellis cursed to himself when his timing was off and the performers had to start over.

"I'm learning I'm no dancer," Ellis said. "It's tough. I'm sweating."

Dunston growled about his back hurting as he lay on the hard floor with his legs in the air.

"You don't do that in baseball," dancer Jorge Rojas said.

Lara Deans Lowe of the Oakland Ballet called for them to try again. Dunston jumped to his feet, clapped and, with a big smile, asked, "When's this over?"

The sports connection to the production started with baseball players in "A's Night at the Nutcracker."

"For all the guys who do it, they really learn the dancers are great athletes," La Russa said. "It takes tremendous conditioning. My daughter has a high ankle sprain and will perform 14 shows in 11 days. In our business, you'd be on the disabled list for two weeks at least, with benefits and pay."

The performance went off practically without a hitch, and the athletes were a hit with the 2,000 or so who attended at the Paramount Theatre.

Even those who showed up late for the rehearsal made it through just fine. Stubblefield learned his steps for the battle scene in a hallway after the group's stage time was up. His family cheered from the audience.

Stubblefield impressed the crowd when he easily lifted dancer Ilana Goldman for the "Arabian Coffee" scene. Deans Lowe had made sure earlier in the day it was OK with Stubblefield.

"Do you have anything in your contract saying you can't pick anybody up?" she asked.

"They don't understand," Stubblefield said. "I pick up guys seven times her weight."