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A Nutcracker Debut

Courtesy of Kansas City Ballet
Photography by Steve Wilson
Courtesy of Kansas City Ballet

Earlier this year, the Kansas City Ballet School offered a weekly ballet class to twenty Latina girls at Gladstone and Primitivo Garcia elementary schools. And five of those girls were cast in this year's production of The Nutcracker, including 5th grader Christina Sayed who's a lead angel.

By Laura Spencer

Kansas City, MO – Each year, through its community outreach program called Reach Out and Dance, the Kansas City Ballet brings dance instruction to city elementary schools. It's viewed as a way to bring more diversity into classrooms at the Ballet's school, and to the stage, specifically for The Nutcracker. Earlier this year, the school offered a weekly ballet class to twenty Latina girls at Gladstone and Primitivo Garcia elementary schools. And five of those girls were cast in this year's production of The Nutcracker, including 5th grader Christina Sayed who's a lead angel. KCUR's Laura Spencer reports.

Kansas City is known for its style of jazz, influenced by the blues, as the home of Walt Disney’s first animation studio and the headquarters of Hallmark Cards. As one of KCUR’s arts reporters, I want people here to know a wide range of arts and culture stories from across the metropolitan area. I take listeners behind the scenes and introduce them to emerging artists and organizations, as well as keep up with established institutions. Send me an email at lauras@kcur.org or follow me on Twitter @lauraspencer.
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