The Pets of BTM
- Cindy Case
- Jun 15
- 4 min read
If you saw the dogs onstage during our new production of The Nutcracker last season, you might not be surprised to learn that the company loves animals. While the dancers are off contract this summer, it means a lot more time for work and play outside the studio— especially when it comes to our pets!
Many BTM dancers, myself included, are devoted pet owners. Read on to learn a little about Pippin, Peanut, Pepper, Lucky, Loki, another Loki, and more!
BB8 - Nicole Kelsch
Artistic Director Nicole Kelsch's cat, BB8 or "Beebs", enjoys going outside whenever he can, building forts out of packing paper and boxes, lying on his mom's lap, and doing tricks for treats. His current repertoire includes sit, shake, stand up, lay down, roll over, and jumping through a circle made with your arms!
Mignon - Michael West Jr
Mignon is a Yorkshire Terrier, and she loves to snuggle under a blanket and take a nice nap. She also loves a good game of tug-of-war, and her favorite snacks are applesauce, bananas, and peanut butter.
Duke and Dyson - Sarah Jung
Meet Duke and Dyson! When they’re not riding shotgun on their next adventure, you can usually find them splashing in the water and living out their retriever dreams. And if there’s a snack nearby? Rest assured that they’re already on the case, providing expert supervision and patiently waiting for their fair share.
Life through Duke and Dyson’s eyes is pretty simple: chase the adventure, jump in the water, and never let a snack go unmonitored.
Lucky and Toby - Kyley Paules
Kyley’s cats, Lucky and Toby, love to eat, cuddle, play with toys attached to sticks, and, most of all, loaf like little bread rolls! They’re also very photogenic and posed perfectly for a Christmas card sent to Kyley’s friends and family. Lucky and Toby are the best boys in the world!
Loki - Rachel Visosky
Meet Loki! (And yes, he does live up to his name as chaos bringer.) Loki is a rescue with a wild soul. He loves car rides, corn chips, and lying in the sun with his momma.
If you've got a snack in your hand, you're immediately his best friend too!
Pippin, Pepper, and Peanut - Karissa Kralik
Pippin, Pepper, and Peanut rule over Millhaven House.
Pippin, the Siberian, loves to stand on his hind legs for his freeze-dried chicken treats and to cuddle.
Pepper, the tuxedo, enjoys a dollop of whipped cream and watching the birds out of the sliding glass door.
Peanut, the ticked tabby, loves his freeze-dried tuna treats and chasing either the infamous red dot or simply a loose ice cube around the house! Their moms love cuddling all of them and making sure they know they are loved.
Jerry - Hannah Hanson
Jerry here is taking a well-deserved rest after helping his owners settle into their new apartment after moving! He’s been a big help setting things up, and he especially has been enjoying all the cardboard boxes lying around.
Perry - Amber Sanders
This is Perry! He is 16 years old and a mix of Yorkie, Shih Tzu, Pekingese, and rat terrier, but is often confused for a chihuahua! He’s named after Perry the Platypus and is the most spunky, vocal, playful little guy you will ever meet. His favorite activities include sleeping in/on/or around suitcases, playing with stuffed squeaky toys, and munching on peanut butter!
Fun fact: the vet put in his chart that “He is a drama king who cares more about his nails being clipped than getting a shot.”
Loki - Brenna Mazzara
Loki is Brenna's sweet, silly, and snuggly rescue pup! He loves to be close to his mom and dad and is just as happy to lay as he is to run and play. He likes to assist mom with work tasks at home, including attentively observing choreography, lying on her notes, and bringing his own props to her Pilates classes when she takes them from home.
While he does not approve of late-night tech rehearsals that interfere with his regular snooze routine, he does love when mom accidentally leaves her bag open, and he gets a chance to run around the house with a ballet shoe or toe pad!
Peaches and Snowglobe - Emery Newton
Meet Emery's furry sewing assistants, Peaches and Snowglobe! Whenever she's deep in a costume project, these two are right by her side.
Between batting at threads and providing quality supervision, they’re the purr-fect creative duo!
Massimo and Leonidas - Lauren and Isaac Martinez
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Leonidas and Massimo (also known as Leo and Max) teach Lauren and Isaac how to relax when they're home after a long day of rehearsals!
Fun fact! Both cats share a birthday with Isaac.
Eugene - Cindy Case
Eugene is my one-year-old rat terrier, and he excels at protecting his yard from birds and squirrels. His favorite commands include sit, speak, relevé, and pirouette.
A lot of folks comment on his athletic build, which he works tirelessly to maintain. He's encouraging me to stay in shape this summer by taking me for a 2.5-mile walk every morning. (His pace is relentless.)
In the rare moments when he's not walking, chasing balls, giving kisses, or barking like a maniac, he's usually napping. As I work on this blog post, he's curled up asleep under my desk.
Thank you to Nicole, Michael, Sarah, Kyley, Rachel, Karissa, Hannah, Amber, Brenna, Emery, Lauren, and Isaac for sharing their pets! These are just a few of the beloved animals in the BTM family, and we hope you've enjoyed meeting them.
We'll be getting plenty of extra love from our pets this summer, but we're looking forward to getting back in the studio for our 2026/2027 season! Have you purchased your subscription yet?
Headshot photos by Clara Molina
Promotional photos by Joanne Salyer
