This past weekend, December 12th through 14th, Peconic Ballet Theater put on their annual performance of The Nutcracker on the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center stage. Having helped out backstage for many years now, it was obvious that this one was the best yet.

Rochelle Martin, a dancer and instructor at PBT,  has been in at least 23 Nutcracker performances in her lifetime. When asked about how long she has been dancing for she laughed and replied with, “Do I have to answer that honestly? I’ll say 20 plus years.” Martin also explained that for each performance, of which there were five, the cast switched roles. For example, Saturday afternoon Martin was the Snow Queen, but Saturday night she was the Sugar Plum Fairy.

A lot of hard work went into putting on this magnificent show. Rehearsals lasted about three months and were held for two or three times per week. Christiana Bitonti, the artistic director for PBT, had a great time preparing the kids for this special weekend. “I feel that all their hard work really payed off and everyone had so much fun,” added Bitonti.

The Nutcracker was truly a magical holiday performance for all ages to enjoy. Don’t forget to check out Peconic Ballet Theater’s website (peconicballettheater.org) for more information on their upcoming performances and class opportunities.