Kaitlyn Gilliland has danced countless Nutcrackers. As a guest blogger on Faye Arthur's "Thoughts From the Paint," Kaitlyn gracefully recounts her experiences through the lens of our own Nutcracker.

Julia Katz responds to our production of A Nutcracker for Culturebot, writing: "As someone who grew up as a dancer, A Nutcracker had immediate resonance for me. Even at a young age, I’ve questioned my changing relationship with my own body and wistfully looked back to high school dance photos, balanced on pointe shoes in a majestic costume. This story seemed to explore the overwhelming force of nostalgia, and the psychological tendency to relate one’s experiences back to an a