The arts are alive and well in Haywood County.

Last Tuesday, November 17, Ballet Memphis delighted the crowd at the Ann L. Marks Performing Arts Center at College Hill with its performance of “The Nutcracker” Act II, with additional non-seasonal repertory.

The program was presented by the Brownsville- Haywood County Arts Council and was partially funded through a Rural Arts Project Grant with the Tennessee Arts Commission.

Tuesday’s performance was the first by Ballet Memphis in Brownsville in eight years. The last performance was in 2001, said Betsy Thornton, director of the arts council.

“The show was very well received,” said Thornton. “I’m excited to see that we are exposing our community to another form of art. We especially wanted to introduce the students from Martin Dance Studio and the children in the community to ballet and get them familiar with ‘The Nutcracker.’”

Ballet Memphis performed earlier in the day for Haywood Elementary students.

The night started off with the performance of the ballet, “Being Here With Other People,” a fast-paced piece that featured eight dancers. The next piece, “The Lovely Story of Us,” featured melodic, slower music and was performed by two of the troop’s dancers. “The Nutcracker Suite” featured several songs and showcased the talents of 18 of the dancers. The evening featured remarkable dancing, beautiful classic costumes, music and set decoration.

“If there’s anything our dancers love to do, it’s perform, and anytime there’s an opportunity for others to see and experience this art form, we will come and visit,” said Karl Condon, associate artistic director for Ballet Memphis.

The Ballet Memphis performance marks the first of the art council’s season events. The council will present a Homecoming event for Brownsville in January, featuring gospel singing and music, and will present a concert in March, with the program to be announced, said Thornton.

The Nutcracker Ballet is based on the story "The Nutcracker and the King of Mice" written by E.T.A. Hoffman. The basic plot of the story centers around a young German girl who dreams of a Nutcracker Prince and a fierce battle against a Mouse King with seven heads.