Nutcracker Ballerinas Visit Shelter to Dance with Adoptable Sugarplum Pets

All of the animal dancers featured in this photoshoot are available for adoption at the Stray Rescue of Saint Louis

Published on November 6, 2019 02:33 PM

Mutcracker — Photo: Stray Rescue of St. Louis

The Stray Rescue of Saint Louis recently welcomed a special group of visitors to their shelter.

Photography project Dancers and Dogs brought dancers from the St. Louis Ballet‘s production of The Nutcracker to the shelter and turned the rescue into a winter wonderland, all so adoptable pets could take center stage.

During the visit, ballerinas and dogs (and a few cats too) were paired together as dance partners for a photoshoot that deserves a standing ovation. In the shots, the animals strike sweet poses while the dancers prance around them in full Nutcracker regalia.

With the shoot over, the stunning photos are now being shared online as a light-hearted way to draw attention to the stunning, graceful and adorable pets patiently waiting at the shelter to find a home for the holidays.

“It’s special to know that our work might bring more attention to dogs and cats that deserve a second chance at a happy and comfortable life. And if we can bring a smile to people’s faces at the same time, all the better,” Kelly Pratt, one of the creators of Dancers and Dogs, said in a statement.

Pratt and Ian Kreidich, both St. Louis locals, started the project as a fun idea and have grown it into something that often gives back to the animals who star in their shoots.

If one of the sugarplum pets in the photos above has enchanted you, you can fill out an adoption application for the animal dancer on Stray Rescue of Saint Louis’ website.