Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School To Perform At UPMC Children's Hospital Of Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School continues to spread the magic of "The Nutcracker" this season by bringing excerpts of the production to UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh on Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 2:30 p.m. Patients, families and staff will be treated to a 30-minute performance featuring vignettes of the classic holiday ballet and will have the opportunity to meet and take photographs with the student dancers.

PBT School has been presenting this enchanting version of "The Nutcracker" to UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh since 2009. The Pre-professional students perform alongside PBT's professional company dancers for the main-stage production, running Friday, Dec. 6 through Sunday, Dec. 29, at the Benedum Center.

Under the direction of PBT Artistic Director Terrence S. Orr and School Co-directors Marjorie Grundvig and Dennis Marshall, PBT School provides a diverse dance curriculum to more than 1,500 students annually across its Children's, Student, Pre-Professional and Community divisions. Ranging from pre-ballet to pre-professional, PBT School fosters the expression, discipline and joy of ballet at every level and cultivates the next generation of professional dancers. Strengthened by daily exposure to the professional company, PBT School students experience training that extends from the studio to main-stage performance opportunities in PBT productions at the Benedum Center.

"The Nutcracker," now in its 18th season, continues its legacy as a Pittsburgh-inspired production, lacing the traditional tale with new surprises each year. Tickets are available by visiting www.pbt.org/nutcracker, calling 412-456-6666 or visiting the Box Office at Theater Square in the Cultural District.