Nutcracker Ballet 

On Sunday, January 5th, Different & Able invited a group of fifteen people from the fabulous Invictus Bakery in Brooklyn, NY to join us at the NYC Ballet for a sensory friendly performance of The Nutcracker. Afterwards, we went for a delicious lunch at Cafe Paradiso.  Everyone was lovely and we had an amazing time.

 

Some of you may remember that D&A went to Brooklyn for a baking event at Invictus Bakery in 2023.  Invictus trains and employs individuals on the autism spectrum to work in their bakery. Their mission is that everyone who “participates in their programs is supported and enabled to reach their full potential.” Fifteen of these bakers along with their caregivers were invited to join us for the performance at the David Koch Theater in Lincoln Center. It was so much fun to get to know everyone better at the lunch. It is wonderful to be able to create social events for our community. Different and Able team members present were our Executive Director, Helene Connelly, Board Member, Rose Lynn Sherr, Research Assistant, Ashley Hannon and myself. 

 

Individuals with autism require special accommodations to mitigate their sensory and attentional deficits. To enable the special needs community to be more inclusive, the NYC ballet offers sensory-friendly performances. They have a variety of different performances that are offered throughout the year. The modified performances are “designed to provide a relaxed, inclusive environment.”  The modified  performances offer individuals with sensory processing challenges, including autism, additional support as they experience the repertory of New York City ballet. The modifications include 1) Relaxed entry/exit policy 2) Adjustment to lighting and sound levels 3) Designated break areas throughout the theater 4) Additional event staffing to assist with audiences needs and to provide pre-visit resources including a visual schedule. They also provide items such as fidget spinners to help everyone better enjoy the performance while meeting their sensory needs.

 

All of our seats were in the orchestra section of the theater so we were well-placed to see the details of the wonderful performance. The performance lasted about two hours with one twenty five minute intermission. As someone who does not require sensory friendly performances, I could not differentiate between the usual performance and this modified performance. The performance was overwhelmingly beautiful and very lavish.  (There were 90 dancers, 62 musicians, 40 stage hands and 125 children in two alternating casts!)  The dancing, costumes, scenery and performance were exquisite. 

 

Eighteen of the group then attended the lunch after the show. Cafe Paradiso is inside the lobby of the Lincoln Center movie theatre. It is a quaint, cozy restaurant serving Italian fare. We had a set menu of two appetizers, three entrees and 2 desserts that everyone picked from. New friends were made while eating delicious food. We are also excited that we were able to share our brand new Different and Able logo t-shirts with our new friends!

 

It was a wonderful event and we are looking into hosting other sensory-friendly performances, perhaps the next one will be for a Broadway show! Let us know if you’d like to join us!