Southwest Virginia Ballet company takes ‘The Nutcracker’ to the TV screen

ROANOKE, Va. – Grab your popcorn, because the Southwest Virginia Ballet’s production of the Nutcracker is coming to your screen.

Rather than a traditional performance on just a stage, the ballet company is partnering with Blue Ridge PBS and other sponsors to air the show throughout December.

Though the pandemic cut the amount of dancers to about 70 and rehearsal time down to six weeks, six different camera angles, including a drone, will still capture the Christmas tradition.

A moment Emerson Kniola, a senior dancer, is excited about as her family lives in New York and Michigan.

“This year the Nutcracker which is my favorite production," Kniola said. "And I am also excited to have my family that lives far away to be able to see me dance, since they’ve never gotten to see me dance.”

The recording will air on Blue Ridge PBS starting Friday, December 11 at 7:00 p.m.

Other showtimes will be on Sunday, December 13 at 4:30 p.m., Thursday, December 24 at 7:00 p.m. and Friday, December 25 at 1:00 p.m.

If you are not in the area, viewers can watch the performance online in a Nutcracker Marathon on BRPBS' YouTube channel “Blue Ridge Streaming” the weekend of December 11-13 and again throughout the holiday season.


About the Author:

Alexus joined 10 News in October 2020.