Kirk Tupaj, WKTV – UTICA, N.Y (WKTV) - This year's performance of "The Nutcracker" by the Mohawk Valley Ballet in Utica, New York has many new changes, but one of the most noticeable ones is the addition of a wheelchair.
Nyashia Linen was born with spina bifida and has no feeling below her hips, but that's not stopping her from doing the things she likes to do, like dance.
"When I go out there, I walk with my party family, and we spin around, and we throw snowballs at each other," she says.
Melissa Larish is the Artistic Director for the Mohawk Valley Ballet. She says this is the first time the ballet incorporated a wheelchair into the performance, and it did present challenges.