Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee sensory-friendly 'The Nutcracker' performance inclusive for all
Milwaukee sensory-friendly ‘The Nutcracker’ performance
Seeing “The Nutcracker” ballet can be mesmerizing, from the leaps, to the lights to the loud sudden noises. Last week, the Milwaukee Ballet went without some of those elements – for good reason.
MILWAUKEE – At the Marcus Performing Arts Center, a treasured Christmas tradition takes center stage.
Seeing “The Nutcracker” ballet can be mesmerizing, from the leaps, to the lights to the loud sudden noises. Last week, the Milwaukee Ballet went without some of those elements – for good reason.
Before “The Nutcracker” begins, Evan Sulik and his mother Michelle are on their own adventure, meeting the characters ahead of a sensory-friendly performance.
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“We purposely come to sensory night for ‘The Nutcracker’ every year,” Michelle Sulik said.
Evan Sulik and his mother Michelle Sulik
Many dancers walk out in costume beforehand to interact with kids. These connections help create familiarity when performers take the stage.
“I feel so happy,” Evan Sulik said.
Rachel Howell is community engagement manager at the Milwaukee Ballet. The performance planned for this night will have relaxed house rules and other changes for people who may struggle with a traditional theater environment.
“Taking his mask off so they can tell that it’s a person playing this role might allow them to stay throughout the entirety of the performance without being nervous,” Howell said. “The show in general will be a little more muted. No loud sounds, no smoke, no haze. Things like that could be jarring.”
Some of Evan’s friends have come because they need accommodation.
“Whether it’s the lights up, or if they need to hoot and holler and get up and move. They can hoot and holler and get up and move,” Michelle Sulik said. “This is the only way that they can sit through the show.”
It was the first meet and greet since the COVID-19 pandemic. Families captured the warm moments.
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“For him, it opened up ballet for him,” Michelle Sulik said. “Small accommodations open it up so that the arts are for everyone. And they really wouldn’t have that opportunity otherwise. Small things make a big impact.”
The goal of the one-night experience is clear: the power of the arts for all.
“Making ballet more accessible for people,” Howell said.
“The Nutcracker” runs through Christmas Eve, but this was the only sensory-friendly night.
The Milwaukee Ballet still has tickets available.