Ballet Arts hosts annual Nutcracker performance

DOWNTOWN JACKSON, Tenn. — A Christmas-time tradition returned to West Tennessee this weekend and brought out hundreds.

Ballet Arts hosted it’s 35th annual Nutcracker performance at the Carl Perkins Civic Center.

Artistic director for the company Pat Brown-Seltzer said it’s a great way for people to support a local organization while celebrating the season.

“I think everyone should always go to the nutcracker, it’s like the top of the tree for our holiday season,” she said.

Show time on Dec. 9 and Dec. 10 was 7:00 p.m. and was followed by a Sunday matinee performance on Dec. 11 at 2:00 p.M.

People also had a chance to go to a tea party before the show where they could enjoy appetizers and meet the cast.

Jackson is home to the longest consecutive running nutcracker production in the state of Tennessee.

Organizers  said people came from all over to see this years performance at the Civic Center.

“I’ve heard people say they’ve seen the Memphis and Nashville nutcrackers, and they still like ours better,” Brown-Seltzer said.

Elinor Bain, who was dancing in her third nutcracker with Ballet Arts, talked about her favorite part of the performance.

“The costumes are just amazing,” she said. “And they are tailor made for us. We have a wonderful costume stream-stress, she is just amazing.”

Organizers say the main goal of ballet arts is to develop dancers that will go on to accomplish their dreams, on and off the dance floor.

“We haven’t been disappointed,” Brown-Seltzer said. “The kids who go through the ballet arts program all pretty much succeed.”

Ballet Arts will host another performance this spring.