© 2026 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Young Dancer With Autism Is the Prince in Milford's Adaptive "Nutcracker Suite"

Connecticut Public Radio | By Diane Orson
Published December 10, 2015 at 1:57 AM EST
1 of 7
In this adaptive production, special needs dancers partner with company mentors to perform Tchaikovsky's iconic ballet together.
City of Milford Adaptive Recreation / Facebook
2 of 7
Nicky in his costume.
Photo Courtesy of Patti Smith
3 of 7
In this adaptive production, special needs dancers partner with company mentors to perform Tchaikovsky's iconic ballet together.
Photo Courtesy of Patti Smith
4 of 7
In this adaptive production, special needs dancers partner with company mentors to perform Tchaikovsky's iconic ballet together.
City of Milford Adaptive Recreation / Facebook
5 of 7
In this adaptive production, special needs dancers partner with company mentors to perform Tchaikovsky's iconic ballet together.
Photo Courtesy of New England Ballet and Milford Recreation Department
6 of 7
In this adaptive production, special needs dancers partner with company mentors to perform Tchaikovsky's iconic ballet together.
Photo Courtesy of Patti Smith
7 of 7
In this adaptive production, special needs dancers partner with company mentors to perform Tchaikovsky's iconic ballet together.
Photo Courtesy of New England Ballet and Milford Recreation Department

Adaptive arts link those with disabilities to artistic expression. This Friday, the city of Milford’s Recreation Department partners with the New England Ballet Company for the sixth annual production of "The Nutcracker Suite."

In this adaptive production, special needs dancers partner with company mentors to perform Tchaikovsky's iconic ballet together. The cast includes dancers with autism, Down's syndrome and other emotional and physical disabilities.

WNPR's Diane Orson met with the director, and the mother of a dancer with autism.

The adaptive "Nutcracker Suite" takes place on Friday, December 11 at 7:00 pm at the Parsons Government Center, 70 West River Street, in Milford. To reserve seats visit newenglandballet.org or call (203) 799-7950. 

To learn more about adaptive ballet, call (203) 550-2520.

Credit Photo Courtesy of Patti Smith
Nicky in his Nutcracker costume.
Credit Photo Courtesy of New England Ballet and Milford Recreation Department
In this adaptive production, special needs dancers partner with company mentors to perform Tchaikovsky's iconic ballet together.

Diane Orson
Diane Orson is a special correspondent with Connecticut Public and a contributing reporter to National Public Radio. Her stories have been heard on Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition, and The World from PRX. She spent seven years as CT Public’s local host for Morning Edition.
See stories by Diane Orson

Federal funding is gone.

Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

That means $2.1 million per year that Connecticut Public relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.

The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.

Donate

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Federal funding is gone.

Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

That means $2.1 million per year that Connecticut Public relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.

The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.

Donate