Holiday Tradition 'The Nutcracker' Returns To Baltimore

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A holiday tradition that's enchanted audiences for decades comes to the Lyric Performing Arts Center this weekend. Tchaikovsky's classic "The Nutcracker" hits the stage.

Gigi Barnett explains all of the performers are still in training.

If this is the sound of the season, this is its performance: Tchaikovsky's holiday classic "The Nutcracker." The performers look like professionals but they're not---all of them are students at the Baltimore School for the Arts, or BSA for short.

"This is the biggest thing I've done. This is the highlight," said BSA dancer Shermia Newman.

Rehearsals started months ago. This weekend, the school will team up with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and pull in younger dancers through its elementary and middle school performance program called TWIGS.

"One of the neat things for us is with having the little kids dance with the older kids, they can see their future and they can say, `I'm going to be Sugar Plum one day' or `...the Prince one day,'" said Baltimore School for the Arts Director Chris Ford.

Everything in this weekend's performance is by the students: the costumes, the set, the dance---with the exception, of course, of the music, which is by the BSO. The school says this teaches students a lesson they cannot learn in class.

"So many people do it and then we get to do it with the BSO and it's just such an honor to be able to perform with their music," said BSA dancer Rebecca Bahr.

BSA started performing "The Nutcracker" at the Lyric three years ago. The first performance comes on Friday night. Students say it's when the practicing pays off and the jitters disappear.

"As we get closer to the show, it just kind of goes away and you just get ready to perform," said BSA dancer Noah Schwartz.

Break a leg!

The performances start Friday night and end on Sunday afternoon.

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