Submitted Photo | Carmen Simpson Kennedi Powers and Riley Taylor play Clara in Dance Arts Valdosta's 'The Nutcracker' at Mathis City Auditorium this week. Opening night is 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2.

VALDOSTA – Dance Arts Valdosta plans a series of “The Nutcracker” performances at Mathis City Auditorium this week. 

Opening night is 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2. Other performances are 6:30 p.m., Dec. 3, 7:30 p.m., Dec. 4, 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Dec. 5, and 2:30 p.m., Dec. 6.

The series marks the 49th year for the studio’s show.

No online ticket purchasing is available and seats are limited to less than 50% capacity due to COVID-19 and social distancing, said Allison Shenton, artistic director. 

Dancers will be socially distanced backstage, she said.

Masks are required, and there will be no concessions.

When students began rehearsing for “The Nutcracker” in August, Shenton said the end result was unclear. Because of the pandemic, it was unsure if the performance would take place on stage or in a film. 

“We’ve spent the entire year dancing in masks, which is very difficult to do, but the the kids have adapted very well,” Shenton said.

Other precautions the dance school took while rehearsing were limited class sizes, additional and earlier rehearsal times, extra cleaning, sanitizing and temperature checks. 

Shenton said her studio has not been majorly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’ve done well,” she said.

Rather than cancelling the show this year, Shenton said Dance Arts chose to sponsor it for the students. She said some of the performers train at the school four or five days per week. 

She believes it’s essential for a student’s mental health to live as much of a normal life as possible.

“It’s something really special for these kids,” Shenton said.

Tickets are $17-$22 and can be purchased an hour and a half before the show at the box office.

Visit danceartsvaldosta.com for more information.