Unmistakably Maryland Nutcracker

The holidays and The Nutcracker go together like Santa and cookies. But what happens when a pandemic cancels live performances for more than a year and you can’t produce your traditional holiday show? If you’re Nadia Letnauchyn, Founder and Director of MidAtlantic Youth Ballet (MYB), you put years of knowledge producing the annual ballet into a bag, sprinkle it with Old Bay and Domino Sugar, and start shaking.

The result: an original interpretation of the traditional tale -- with distinctive Maryland flavor.

When COVID shut down live performances last year, Nadia was forced to reimagine what it means to produce a ballet production -- especially since the organization didn’t have access to the long-standing performance venue, including the scenic backdrops and props they had used for the past fourteen years. Adapting the show to a virtual venue gave her creative freedom (or maybe a creative push!) to rethink how the story was told.

“We re-imagined not only how to exhibit our performances for an audience, but also how to update a Christmas classic to be relevant to our community,” said Nadia. “The resulting premiere of MYB's “Unmistakably Maryland “Nutcracker” features regional landmarks, local icons and culture unique to Maryland.

Performances are December 4th and 5th at Towson University. Tickets are $15-$30. Prices increase on November 30th. To purchase tickets, visit Towson University’s Website.