Let me make clear that I am not attempting to stand in for SoINeedAName – even if that were not impossible given his talents (yes, I have some of my own, but they are not in competition with his), the added responsibility is not something i am ready to take on.

However, I could not resist this headline:

Dancers meet rescue pets in Fort Collins ballet company’s annual ‘Muttcracker’ shoot

And when I read on, and saw the photos, I could resist even less.

Yes, Virginia. There is a Santa Claus, and he’s officially brought back the “Muttcracker” photo shoot as a new Fort Collins holiday tradition.

For the second year in a row, Fort Collins’ Canyon Concert Ballet partnered with Animal Friends Alliance to showcase nine of the local rescue’s adoptable dogs and cats ahead of the ballet company’s annual production of “The Nutcracker.”

Like last year, Nutcracker dancers posed with the animals for photos celebrating both their upcoming shows and Animal Friends Alliance’s adoptable pets. Of the pets featured in the Nov. 20 photo shoot, all of the puppies have since been adopted. Gladys, a senior beagle involved in the shoot, is available for fostering and adoption this week, while the kittens featured will likely be available at an adoption event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at PetSmart, 4432 S. College Ave, according to Animal Friends Alliance.

Here are the pictures – I wasn’t there, so I’m not sure of all the costume ID’s, but I am of most of them.

If I were that Rat King, I’d be terrified of that ferocious cat!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry, sweetie, I gotta go dance the Trepak.

 

 

 

 

Looks like the dancers could just ear them all up…

 

 

 

 

 

I think this is one of the snowflakes … but the little sweeitie in her arms doesn’t appear to be chilled.

 

 

 

 

 

By the hair, and also the sleeves, I’m thinking this must be Clara.

 

 

 

The dances we usually think of as the Arabian Dance, Chinese Dance, and Spanish Dance are actually called “Coffee,” “Tea,” and “Chocolate,” in that order.  This looks like Chocolate to me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coffee being full of caffeine, it’s not surprising the dancers have the energy for four photos.  But I’ll only show two.

 

 

Here’s the second.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And I think this one is Tea.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course there has to be the Sugar Plum Fairy

 

 

 

 

 

Twice.

 

 

 

 

 

You can see all of the pictures (there are 17) if you click through on the headline – or here.  They’re shown as a “gallery” – see one, then click to the next and so on.  Virgil will be so proud of the town he grew up in for doing this.  They couldn’t have when he lived there – it was much smaller, although the university was already there.

I hope you enjoyed seeing this as much as I did.  A Happy Holiday season to all!