ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Round this time yearly, hundreds of individuals would pack Popejoy Corridor to observe a vacation favourite: The Nutcracker. It’s introduced by the New Mexico Ballet Company. However due to the pandemic, that present is not going to go on this yr. As an alternative, the ballet firm has a message for New Mexicans.
The well-known ballet, The Nutcracker, is a traditional vacation efficiency.
“It’s one thing that I’ve heard from folks saying yearly since they have been kids and now they’re adults they’ve been coming and it’s not Christmas with out it,” stated New Mexico Ballet Firm ballerina, Kira Petersen.
For nearly 50 years round Christmas time, ballerinas with the New Mexico Ballet Firm dance to a few of Tchaikovsky’s most well-known music performed by the Santa Fe Philharmonic at Popejoy Corridor.
“Nothing can fairly rival that precise reside efficiency feeling,” stated Petersen. The Nutcracker is their largest efficiency however the pandemic sophisticated every thing.
“We had plans for a digital efficiency sort of occasion that we began rehearsing again in September for and previous to the final shutdown with every thing closing it wasn’t in a position to occur for us,” stated New Mexico Ballet Firm dancer Robbie Rodriguez.
After practising for months with masks on and typically even nearly, the corporate determined to shut the curtains on The Nutcracker this yr for security causes. “Attempting to verify we do our civic responsibility to maintain our dancers protected, our family members protected our households protected,” stated Rodriguez.
As an alternative of a efficiency, they launched a brief PSA asking people to stay home for the vacations this yr, in order that they will carry out in entrance of a reside viewers subsequent yr. “To the New Mexico and Albuquerque group, we miss you and might’t wait to carry out for you once more,” stated Petersen.
The Nutcracker normally brings in probably the most income for the corporate, so that they’re asking folks to donate to their ballet company this yr.