Nutcracker season is almost here! Here at Ballet Theatre of Maryland, it's an exciting year: on Sunday, November 23, we premiere our all-new production of The Nutcracker. Putting on a new Nutcracker is an exciting accomplishment for any ballet company. Although premiering any production reflects a huge commitment of time and resources, The Nutcracker is often a company's biggest and most complex show between sets, costumes, and technical demands.

When people describe ballet dancers, they often use words like "hard-working" or "diligent." This is true not only when we're dancing, but also when we have some time on our hands! When we're not participating in a rehearsal, you'll often find us going over choreography or practicing some cross-training. For a number of BTM dancers, you may even find them working on a quiet handicraft!

As rehearsals continue for our upcoming performances of Giselle on October 17-19, we are beginning to see the full shape of the ballet emerge. One of our more recent blog posts delved into the history, story, and notable moments in Giselle, but there's no substitute for watching the ballet come together right before your eyes.

Like any athlete, dancers dread injuries. Getting hurt can happen from chronic overuse, such as shin splints or stress fractures, or it can result from an acute injury, like an ankle sprain. Whatever the cause, injuries may lead to difficult setbacks both physically and mentally. I caught up with company demi-soloists Cassandra and Rowan to learn more about how their injuries and recoveries have impacted them as dancers.

You might remember Benta Owino as the inaugural recipient of the Robert Sutton Young Artist Award, as detailed in our most recent blog post. Coincidentally, Benta recently concluded a two-week internship with Digital Content and Marketing coordinator Lauren Martinez. Follow along as I visit them in the BTM office to see what they've been working on!

Swan Lake is almost here! As rehearsals of the ballet shifted into full run-throughs of the production, our wardrobe team has been hard...

As we've delved into the story and choreography of Swan Lake, we've become curious about how it developed into the ballet we know today.

Rather than focus on a single full-length ballet, Momentum highlights shorter-form works that are often world premieres.

Audition season allows dancers to learn, grow, and find their place in the ballet world. Here's what our dancers have to say about it.

"Now, after three months of rehearsals, every mother stitching taffeta backstage is certain she could strap on those toe shoes, gel back...

Ballet Theatre of Maryland's 20th Anniversary of The Nutcracker is off to a great start! Read on to hear how we're getting ready.

Photo by David Herron It's that time of year! Every season, the Ballet Theatre of Maryland puts away the sets and costumes from our fall...

It's almost time for Napoli 's premiere! As the professional company heads into the theater this week to prepare for our performances on...

The path to becoming a professional varies greatly from one dancer to another, but involves years of coordinated effort and study.

How dancers fill their time outside the studio can look a little different for everyone, but there are some common themes.

BTM has been hard at work performing at the Maryland Renaissance Festival and preparing for upcoming performances.

Principal dancer Lauren Martinez performing for Unbound Ballet Project As the cliche goes, it's the time of year when students head back...

The start of Ballet Theatre of Maryland's season is only four weeks away! As we approach the first day of our season, the company is...

Whenever we have a Q&A with audience members, one of the most common questions is, "Where do you get your costumes?"

For our Conservatory students, performing with the company in Sleeping Beauty is an exciting opportunity.