A great story on the Today Show holiday blog features a unique dance troupe from the Chicago area: therapy dogs who perform a full-dress version of Tchaikovsky’s ballet “The Nutcracker.” Organized by the PAWSative Therapy Troupe—an Animal-Assisted Activities and Therapy program designed to share registered therapy dogs with patients and students in a variety of health care and educational settings—the first performance was at the Ronald McDonald House in 2000. There were no shows from 2005-2009, nor was there one last year, but they are going all-out for 2012:
“It’s a riot!” said Penny Brcic, 58, whose dog Gracie landed the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy this year. “The audience goes crazy. … A lot of the humor behind it is that these aren’t circus dogs. They’re just our pets.”
The PAWSitive Therapy Troupe’s canine version of “The Nutcracker” will be performed November 17 and 18 at Herrick Middle School,in Downers Grove, Illinois. To learn more about the shows or to find out how to support the year-round work of the PAWSitive Therapy Troupe, click here to visit the group’s website.
Click here for the full story on the Today Show site.
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