Birmingham Ballet brings twist to holiday classic

For the Birmingham Ballet’s 20th anniversary, the Vestavia Hills studio will perform not only the classic Nutcracker this season, but also a four-legged version.

The Nutcracker and Mutt-cracker will be performed at the BJCC concert hall Dec. 11-13, along with a prequel piece called Dross, which was written specifically for the Birmingham Ballet.

The Birmingham Ballet’s version of the Nutcracker is choreographed by studio Director Cindy Free and is the longest-running performance in the city. The Mutt-cracker is in its fourth year as a special production to benefit the Greater Birmingham Humane Society. It includes more than 20 dogs throughout the ballet, and this year’s cast will include the local celebrity Pig, a dog born with short spine syndrome.

Birmingham Ballet is located at 2198 Columbiana Road. For more information about their holiday performances, visit Birminghamballet.com.

-Submitted by Cindy Free