The Long Beach Ballet’s performance of “The Nutcracker,” a local gem now in its 37th year, as always, boasts a full symphony orchestra (the only in Southern California), a cast of more than 200 dancers, a flying sleigh, on-stage pyrotechnics and, of course, a real-live horse.

This year, though, for at least two performances, it’s all about the dogs. Rescue dogs.

Teaming up with Katy Cable, local resident and creator of The Weekly Runt, a pet health and lifestyle blog, as well as local dog rescue, Sparky and the Gang, this year Long Beach Ballet is presenting the “Mutt-Cracker” which they hope will help rescue pups find loving homes this holiday season.

“I was adopted and so adoption has always been really important to me,” Cable said. “When my daughter was seven, we decided that it was going to be either a rescue or shelter dog. I couldn’t believe how many great pets were available. So now, that’s my mission. Don’t shop, adopt.”

Before you get excited, no, you won’t find any pups actually performing in the Nutcracker. You will, however, find them in front of the Terrace Theater at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center the day of the first matinee show on Sunday, Dec. 15 and again on Saturday, Dec 21, waiting to be adopted.

The Long Beach Ballet Company loves dogs. Aside from welcoming dancers to bring their pups to rehearsals, many of the dancers and instructors—including David Wilcox, founder and artistic director of the company—are proud rescue dog owners.

While attending one of the company’s weekly adult ballet classes, Cable, a long-time dancer was telling Tami Wilcox, administrative director of the ballet and wife of David, about an adoption event she was planning for the new year.

Both were big fans of a popular Instagram account that photographs dancers with dogs. They formed the idea to stage a photoshoot with dancers from the Nutcracker and rescue puppies from a shelter Cable often works with, Sparky and the Gang, to help get a new litter of rescue puppies adopted.

“They [Sparky and the Gang] go to the hardest hit shelters and situations around Southern California,” Cable said. “[They’re] on the road traveling, rehabilitating dogs that are literally going to be put to sleep within hours if somebody doesn’t get there.”

It didn’t take any convincing to bring on Ben Majors, a studio photographer and principal dancer with the company for nearly 20 years, or any of the other dancers and fellow Nutcracker musicians to join the photoshoot.

“It was just a big love fest,” David Wilcox recalls. “The room was filled with people… All I heard was ‘awww,’ all day long.”

All images gathered from the photoshoot will be used to help promote the rescue as well as made into a 2020 calendar that will, according to Tami Wilcox, be available next week. Sparky and the Gang will be hosting an adoption event with food trucks outside the Terrace Theater on Sunday, Dec. 15 from noon to 1:30 p.m. where concert-goers can come and see the pups, make donations or fill out applications to adopt. They’ll be hosting a similar event again on Saturday, Dec. 21.

The Nutcracker presented by the Long Beach Ballet begins Saturday Dec. 14 through Sunday Dec. 22. For more information including ticket prices and showtimes, you can check out their website. The Long Beach Performing Arts Center is located at 300 E. Ocean Blvd.

For more information regarding adoptions you can check out The Weekly Runt and the Sparky and the Gang Animal Rescue.