The Adirondack Ballet Theater will be performing The Nutcracker this December 11 and 12, a tradition that began in 1992 when Barbara Tebeau served as its director.  Organized as a children’s non-profit dance company, this organization has grown tremendously over the years beginning with the talents of choreographer Jeanne Markwardt.  Earlier performances of The Nutcracker were variations of Act II.  When Annette DeCrease took over in 1998, she expanded on the performance by adding its first party scene. In 2002, ABT alum Bethany Osborn became the organization’s artistic director who re-choreographed the performance and brought in local actors and professional dancers from Ballet Hispanico and the Martha Graham Dance Company including alumni Jennifer DePalo-Rivera.

ABT presents an annual spring performance--a “mixed repertory” influenced by local choreographers.  The company also performs other ballets such as Pas de Quatre  (one of the first ballets to bring four professional ballerinas together) by New York City Ballet dancer, Aura Dixon.  This year, on April 3,  ABT will present its rendition of Firebird at a local theater.