A Christmas tradition more than a century old, The Nutcracker Ballet, is back this December in Lafayette.
The classic story of Clara and her Christmas prince returns for in-person performances at the Heymann Center after going virtual in 2020.
"The Nutcrackers was virtual, which was wonderful, it was better than canceling it. We had to keep those kids dancing and performing," said co-artistic director Mitzi Heath. "But we are so excited this year to have the audience back. I just didn't realize how important they were but they really bring the story to life with their laughter and their applause and sighs. It's wonderful."
Abby Breidenbach was live on GMA with more about this year's performances.
2021 marks the 20th annual Lafayette Ballet Theatre production of The Nutcracker.
Auditions for the production were held the weekend after Labor Day and dancers have been in rehearsals since the end of September.
And after almost 11 weeks of work, Heath says the nearly 140 local dancers are ready to dazzle their audiences.
"Eunice and Opelousas and Abbeville and Rayne, they're coming from all over to be a part of this production," said Heath. "So we hope the whole community will support them."
Three professional dancers from the Pacific Northwest Ballet Company will dance along with the members of the Lafayette Ballet Theatre as a part of this year's performances.
Tickets for the performances are available through ticketmaster outlets or by visiting lafayetteballettheatre.org.
Performances will be in-person at the Heymann Center on Saturday, December 11 at 7:00 pm and Sunday, December 12 at 2:00 pm.
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