For many people, Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker ballet is synonymous with the holiday season - but COVID-19 has made live performances impossible. That’s why this year, for the first time, the Richmond Ballet is offering an online stream of the show.
Tracie Morin, a production manager at the Richmond Ballet, says the sheer scope of the production made physical distancing impossible: “We actually have over fifty professional and pre-professional dancers, there’s over seventy children, and it takes 28 crew members for every performance.”
Instead, the company took footage recorded last year and re-cut it, with a soundtrack provided by the Richmond Symphony. “So you will actually be seeing our opening night of last season,” Morin said.
However, the format isn’t likely to stick. Managing director Brett Bonda, a former dancer with the ballet, says Richmonders should take advantage of the stream while they can. “Once we are back live, hopefully next year, this opportunity might not exist.”
The Nutcracker can be streamed from Dec. 11 through 26, and tickets can be purchased at the Richmond Ballet’s website.