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Nashville Ballet ready to return after COVID, water damage





Nashville Ballet dancers rehearse for “Peter Pan” before the show’s cancellation after a fire suppression malfunction.Heather Thorne

Nashville Ballet dancers rehearse for “Peter Pan” before the show’s cancellation after a fire suppression malfunction.Heather Thorne

Dancers of the Nashville Ballet have been without a familiar-feeling stage experience for quite some time, and while a pandemic and a wall of water have conspired to keep their futures up in the air, they’re focused on landing on pointe.

On Oct. 8, the company’s dancers were just hours away from emerging from a pandemic-induced live, indoor stage time drought dating to February 2020.

And after weeks of long daily rehearsals, dancers were all set for their triumphant return to the stage at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center for three weekend performances of the high-flying “Peter Pan” when the unthinkable happened.

A mechanical issue with the fire suppression system at the James K. Polk Cultural Center led to thousands of gallons of water per minute pouring over the Andrew Jackson Hall stage for a full 30 minutes.

It was a twist of fate that the malfunction had come from a system meant to separate dancer from audience in times of peril.

“It’s like a curtain of water that comes down in front of the proscenium to prevent the audience from harm if there are any pyrotechnics that happen on stage,” explained company dancer of 18 seasons Mollie Sansone.

Water damage to things like the company’s specialized “marley” flooring in October upended Nashville Ballet’s plans for “Peter Pan” and a return to a traditional stage and audience, but the company is readying for a return in December.Courtesy / Nashville Ballet

Water damage to things like the company’s specialized “marley” flooring in October upended Nashville Ballet’s plans for “Peter Pan” and a return to a traditional stage and audience, but the company is readying for a return in December.Courtesy / Nashville Ballet

The resulting deluge damaged or destroyed special flooring, sets, lights, costumes and personal property.

“It also seeped down the walls and the cracks of the building to all three stories of the Polk Center,” Sansone said.

Company dancers who were then anticipating getting back to a sense of normalcy were greeted with anything but the morning of opening day.

They received an email calling everyone together for an emergency Zoom meeting.

“Those were the longest 30 minutes of all our lives trying to figure out what it could mean, what was going on,” Sansone said. “It was so emotional, finding out the news and seeing everyone’s face on Zoom gallery. Everyone was bawling. Everyone was crying. … It was a rough weekend.”

The “Peter Pan” shows were canceled shortly thereafter.

Nashville Ballet dancers rehearse for “Peter Pan” before the show’s cancellation after a fire suppression malfunction.Heather Thorne

Nashville Ballet dancers rehearse for “Peter Pan” before the show’s cancellation after a fire suppression malfunction.Heather Thorne

In the aftermath, TPAC itself has since resumed putting on shows.

Nashville Ballet performers, however, will be waiting until Dec. 15-24 to finally make their return with the holiday staple “The Nutcracker” at Andrew Jackson Hall.

“We’re looking in the trajectory of still having ‘The Nutcracker’ at TPAC,” Sansone said. “Fingers crossed that we’re able to do our beloved holiday tradition for everyone in Nashville.”

Repairs are ongoing to fix an undisclosed amount of damage at TPAC, but Nashville Ballet members aren’t losing time.

They’ll start filming next week for a digital series along with local artists before starting “The Nutcracker” rehearsals.

And the ballet itself is looking to be in good financial shape at the current juncture, Sansone said.

“We are standing on our own two feet,” she said. “We were able to make smart choices, I think, last year during COVID that we’re able to pick back up in that sense. We’ve had lots of love and support, donations from our patrons that are helping us.”

Water damage in October upended Nashville Ballet's plans for

Water damage in October upended Nashville Ballet’s plans for “Peter Pan” and a return to a traditional stage and audience, but the company is readying for a return in December.Courtesy / Nashville Ballet

But beyond the work still ahead lies the intangible prize, the moment the largely stage-deprived artists can’t wait to experience.

“We’re just so excited to go back to the stage and perform for everyone,” Sansone said. “I think that moment of the curtain going up is going to be so exciting for us, even more so than it was now that we’ve gone through so many trials and tribulations. I think it’s going to be that much more special for everyone involved.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by ballet leadership.

“As a dancer, there is no greater feeling than performing for a live audience,” Artistic Director Paul Vasterling said in a news release. “The connection you experience with them while you’re on-stage, in a theater, is impalpable, and it’s something our artists have missed dearly.

“Over the past 19 months, our dancers, faculty, and staff have worked tirelessly preparing for this moment, and I know I speak for all of us when I say we could not be more ready or excited to see you back at the theater and to celebrate this momentous occasion together this holiday season.”

Water damage in October upended Nashville Ballet's plans for

Water damage in October upended Nashville Ballet’s plans for “Peter Pan” and a return to a traditional stage and audience, but the company is readying for a return in December.Courtesy / Nashville Ballet

Sansone spoke on what such a moment might mean for the company after a long and grueling haul to get back to the kind of performing it’s used to.

“We’re such a tightly knit organization,” Sansone said. “And I think it will just prove to ourselves and to all of the community members who love and support us that we will persevere and we can get through anything if we can get through a year and a half of COVID, if we can get through this.”

To purchase tickets or make a donation, visit nashvilleballet.com.

Nashville Ballet has its sights set on a return in December with

Nashville Ballet has its sights set on a return in December with “The Nutcracker.”Karyn Kipley Photography

Nashville Ballet has its sights set on a return in December with “The Nutcracker.”Karyn Kipley Photography

Nashville Ballet has its sights set on a return in December with “The Nutcracker.”Karyn Kipley Photography

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