The COVID-19 pandemic didn’t stop a local ballet company from showcasing a Christmas special to the community.
The 43rd annual Civic Ballet of San Luis Obispo’s “The Nutcracker” was pre-recorded this year and shown Sunday night at the Sunset Drive-in.
Once on sale, tickets sold quickly, leading to more than 100 cars lining up to watch the holiday classic.
Drew Silvaggio, artistic director of the Civic Ballet, says this year’s performance was shorter as only selected dances were done, but they wanted to give back to the community, especially this year.
Practices took place on the Academy of Dance’s outdoor stage and the show was recorded at the Performing Arts Center the day before shut-down orders went into place.
Silvaggio says COVID-19 safety precautions were followed during the filming.
He told KSBY he wanted the performance to celebrate the legacy of his mother, Lorilee Silvaggio, who founded the company in her garage years ago and passed away last month.
“That was super tough and we wanted to make sure that we really honored her and honored the idea of The Nutcracker on the Central Coast, so that doubled the stakes and reasons to produce something during this time,” Silvaggio said.
The full performance will be posted on the Civic Ballet's website for everyone to enjoy.
