LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — For the second year, the African American Ballet Troupe will perform the Ebony Nutcracker for the Christmas season in Lexington.
The director and founder of the dance troupe, Kayla Chambers-Reed, is just 16 years old.
"I started dancing since I was two years old, just dancing around with my dad and he was like 'we have got to get her in ballet,'" said Chambers-Reed.
That's exactly what they did. The young dancer trained at Bluegrass Youth Ballet with Adalhi Aranda for most of her career, as well as the Lexington Ballet Company.
Chambers-Reed danced The Nutcracker countless times since she was a child. Now, she teaches others the Ebony Nutcracker, which features different music and cultural dances like African, Hip Hop, and R&B.
In a dance world where only a small percentage look like her, Chambers-Reed wanted to create a safe space for Black ballet dancers.
Now, the troupe is in its second year and hopes to perform the Ebony Nutcracker for the Christmas season every year.
The ballet takes place on December 22 at the University of Kentucky's Singletary Center for the Arts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are between $10-25 and go on sale Friday.
