The BalletMet is finding new ways for “The Nutcracker” fans to still feel the holiday spirit. Credit: Courtesy of Jennifer Zmuda
In a shift from tradition, many in-person performances of the holiday classic “The Nutcracker” have been canceled, but a local ballet and dance company found a way to still bring the story to life.
Presented by the BalletMet, “A Nutcracker Holiday” is a virtual experience that will premiere on the company’s website Saturday. The virtual experience will include “The Nutcracker” related videos, behind-the-scenes footage of costuming and rehearsal, and other activities related to the ballet, according to BalletMet’s website.
After making the decision to cancel the live performance, Lynette Shy, director of marketing and communications of BalletMet, said the company knew it had to do something to still keep the holiday spirit alive.
“It just didn’t seem right to not have something. We have so many people that every year reach out to us and say that we’re part of their holiday traditions,” Shy said. “Even though it’s different this year, we wanted to make sure that we were still a part of their holiday traditions.”
Included in the virtual experience are two videos: “Clara’s Nutcracker Prince,” which features various numbers from BalletMet’s performance of “The Nutcracker,” and “Dancing With the Nutcracker,” which is an interactive experience geared toward younger children, according to the event’s media release. Both videos were created specifically for “A Nutcracker Holiday.”
In an effort to be able to continue providing those traditions, the BalletMet has also implemented a fundraiser to help with the financial hit caused by this year’s pandemic, according to the website.
The fundraising campaign, “Keep Us Dancing” will last throughout their whole dance season. A matching grant of $275,000 was also pledged by two separate donors for this campaign for every dollar that is donated, Edwaard Liang, artistic director of BalletMet, said.
Additionally, a raffle taking place from now until Dec. 27 will give the community a chance to win three different BalletMet experiences with tickets starting at $25, according to the website.
“We hope that Columbus can really step up and support us and keep us dancing and keep this organization going in this really troubling time,” Liang said.
Although fans will not be able to get the same feeling that a live performance provides, Shy said their goal was to still have the moments on stage that people love.
“I think that we were looking for ways for people to engage with us still, and just having things that people for multiple generations could do, both individually or together,” Shy said.
“A Nutcracker Holiday” is free and will be available Saturday through Dec. 27 on BalletMet’s website.
