New Doducmentary THE NUTCRACKER AT WETHERSFIELD Now Available To Rent On Demand

The Nutcracker at Wethersfield, directed by Anne Sundberg and executive produced by Amanda Seyfried, will be available to stream at home for a limited time this holiday season.

The documentary follows a group of artists from New York City Ballet who came together during the winter of 2020 to create what became the first Nutcracker performed in the United States that year, after productions nationwide were canceled.

When theaters closed and dancers were left without work, NYCB soloist Troy Schumacher, who also serves as Artistic Director of BalletCollective, organized a group of 23 dancers to live, rehearse, and perform together at the historic Wethersfield Estate in the Hudson Valley. The artists transformed the interior rooms and outdoor grounds of the estate into performance spaces, developing a site-specific version of The Nutcracker under pandemic restrictions.

The film features appearances by New York City Ballet dancers including Sara Mearns, Mira Nadon, Taylor Stanley, Tyler Angle, Ashley Laracey, and Emma von Enck. Through rehearsals, performances, and daily life at the estate, the documentary documents how the artists navigated isolation while maintaining creative practice.

Originally premiering at DOC NYC, the documentary captures the logistical and artistic challenges of staging ballet during the pandemic, including rehearsals in nontraditional spaces, outdoor performances in winter conditions, and the adaptation of choreography to the environment. The film also follows the creation of the Land of Sweets sequence, staged under a temporary tent on the Wethersfield grounds.

“None of us will ever forget those months,” says director Anne Sundberg. “We were isolated, unsure of the future, yet these dancers created something fleeting and beautiful under impossible circumstances. The film is a witness to that creative resistance.”

The Nutcracker at Wethersfield includes original choreography by Schumacher, costumes by Marc Happel, and creative direction by Elizabeth Mayhew. The documentary combines behind-the-scenes footage with completed performances, offering a record of an unusual production developed during a period of industry shutdown.

The film is available to rent on demand for a limited time via the official website, with additional sneak screenings continuing nationwide.