The annual “Nutcracker” show, a longtime feature by the Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre at the Strand Theatre and elsewhere, has slipped off its pointe shoes and ended production for this year’s edition. Citing protocols for Covid-19 from some theaters that his organization could not meet, Scott Fraser, the Ballet Theatre’s managing director, said that work on the “Nutcracker” had been cancelled across the board.

He declined to elaborate in detail on the protocols situation.

“The Strand has been absolutely nothing but wonderful to the Ballet Theatre for the last 35 years,” he said. “The rumor the Strand had put unattainable restrictions on us – there’s no basis for that. In my Rolodex for professional contacts, [the Strand] is at the top of the list. Ballet Theatre has just not been able to resurrect and do all those things we would need to do post-Covid. …Some communities have certain guidelines that we cannot meet.”

The “Nutcracker” production has been a local fixture for decades, with Cambridge-based Jose Mateo making its debut in 1987. Traditionally, it performs the Nutcracker at the Strand and at the Emerson Majestic Theatre.

Fraser said the production is already booked for 2023 at the Strand. “The Strand has been the highlight of my Christmas for years. It’s important for me and the organization,” he said.

He said there was another venue that called on the company to do more health safety protocols than they thought they could do without having to cut back productions in other places like Dorchester.

“We do Nutcracker in several different places,” he said. “One theater just had protocols we couldn’t meet across the board…If you believe this is the right thing to do, you have to do it inclusively and not just selectively.”

The annual production had become a highlight for the Strand and a big holiday draw for Uphams Corner. It was also a chance for the Ballet Theatre to perform close to their practice studios on Cushing Avenue in the Jones Hill neighborhood.

According to the Strand calendar on the City of Boston website, there are no events booked at the theater past the first week of December. Beyond that, the months of January and February are blocked out for what is described on the calendar as “Capital Upgrades.”

“We look forward to having Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre return next year to continue the tradition,” said Kara Elliott-Ortega, Boston’s Chief of Arts and Culture.