Long Island High School for the Arts Student To Perform In Immersive Pre-Show For THE NUTCRACKER at New York Dance Theatre
New partnership brings a Long Island High School for the Arts musician into New York Dance Theatre’s holiday productions.
By: A.A. Cristi Nov. 26, 2025
Nassau BOCES Long Island High School for the Arts (LIHSA) will take part in a new partnership with New York Dance Theatre, and student musician Arvindh Senthivelan (Half Hollow Hills CSD) will perform in a semi-immersive preshow experience for the company’s upcoming production of The Nutcracker at Hofstra University’s Adams Playhouse.
Senthivelan will appear at all performances on December 20 and 21 at noon and 5 p.m., providing live music as audiences enter a lobby transformed into the festive Silberhaus home that opens the ballet. The experience will feature seasonal sights, sounds, and scents designed to evoke the Christmas Eve party that begins the classic production.
For more information, visit the New York Dance Theatre/Ohman School of Ballet’s event page: The Nutcracker Ballet Performance | Ohman School of Ballet.
LIHSA, based in Syosset, has served Long Island’s creative community for more than fifty years. The school offers students a master-apprentice environment across pathways in Performing Arts, Visual Media Arts, Production Managerial Arts, Audio Production, Game Design, Multimedia Film & TV, and 3D Animation. Students work with accomplished artists and educators, gain experience through independent projects and field trips, and participate in master classes and residencies with world-class professionals. Alumni work across the globe on stage, on screen, behind the scenes, and in leadership roles throughout the arts sector.
New York Dance Theatre marked its 50th anniversary in 2024. Founded by New York City Ballet soloist Frank Ohman with support from George Balanchine, the company is now led by artistic director Nicole Loizides, an NYDT alumna and former Momix principal dancer and choreographer. NYDT continues to present works by Balanchine and Antony Tudor with repetiteurs from the Balanchine and Tudor Trusts, while also maintaining partnerships with organizations supporting at-risk youth and opening access to live performance.
The Ohman School of Ballet, founded in 1979 by Frank Ohman, is based in Commack and celebrated its 45th year in 2024. Led by Executive Artistic Director Nicole Loizides, the school provides classical ballet training in the Balanchine tradition, with three studios featuring state-of-the-art flooring and a faculty of experienced professionals. A division of New York Dance Theatre, the school is one of the region’s few not-for-profit ballet training institutions. Artistic advisors include New York City Ballet principal Daniel Ulbricht, retired NYCB principal Ask la Cour, former Dance Theatre of Harlem principal Da’Von Doane, and Toledo Ballet Artistic Director Eric Otto.
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