A couple is lifting spirits this holiday season by photographing adoptable animals with ballet dancers dressed in festive costumes

• Dancers & Dogs was created in 2017 by photography duo Kelly Pratt and Ian Kreidich as an experiment that brought canines and dancers together.
• Now, the couple creates a holiday version of the project each year — dubbed the "Muttcracker" series — that features adoptable animals posing next to St. Louis Ballet dancers in festive costumes.
• Speaking to Insider, Pratt said the holiday project is all about having fun and raising awareness for animal adoption.
• Natalie Thomson of the Stray Rescue of St. Louis, which provides the animals each year, added that the photographs create an "incredible" impact that has resulted in featured animals being adopted.
• This article is part of a series titled The Doers.

Some shelter animals go their entire lives without a permanent place to call home. But dance photographers Kelly Pratt and Ian Kreidich are helping to change that for some pets in Missouri.

Through their photography project, Dancers & Dogs, the couple joins adorable canines with professional ballet dancers for stunning photos. And during the holiday season, they take their project a step further by photographing adoptable animals with dancers dressed in festive costumes for a series called the "Muttcracker."

Insider spoke with Pratt about Dancers & Dogs' mission, helping animals get adopted, and spreading joy during a tumultuous year with the help of some ballerinas and furry friends.

Dancers & Dogs began in 2017 as a 'random experiment'

At the time, Pratt thought it'd be interesting to have dogs pose alongside some of the St. Louis Ballet dancers that she and her husband have frequently worked with since 2014.

"We were just trying to see if we could make any shapes or interactions that looked interesting," Pratt told Insider. "But then it really caught on from there and we went with it."

Their first photo shoots went so well that Pratt and Kreidich set a goal to photograph 100 dancers and 100 dogs, turning their small idea into a massive project that extended out of St. Louis. Now, the duo has surpassed their goal - so much so that they've lost track of how many dancers and dogs they've photographed.

Luckily, Pratt and Kreidich have been able to find dancers and portrait-ready dogs just about everywhere they go.

Approximately one-third of the dogs featured in the photo project are owned by the dancers they pose with, according to Pratt, and others are local animals that are comfortable being in unfamiliar environments.

"If we go to New York or something like that, we'll screen for dogs that are trained to do pictures, or dogs that are just able to sit, stay, and be comfortable in the type of setting we're in," Pratt said. "It's not for every single dog. They're not all comfortable being in a studio with strangers."

Three years ago, Pratt and Kreidich started a holiday portion of the project playfully dubbed the 'Muttcracker'

"One thing we always wanted to do with Dancers & Dogs is incorporate animals who are up for adoption," Pratt told Insider. "We wanted to give back, and we're big supporters of rescue animals, so we wanted to figure out a way to do that."

Pratt came up with the idea to have their dancer friends pose in festive costumes from "The Nutcracker" while interacting with dogs. And for a heartwarming twist, they'd feature animals from the Stray Rescue of St. Louis as their four-legged models.

According to Pratt, members of the St. Louis Ballet "volunteer their time for this project every year." The Stray Rescue of St. Louis, on the other hand, provides adoptable animals that they know will be comfortable around studio lighting and equipment. From there, everyone "just tries to have fun," Pratt said.

"It's really simple," Pratt added. "These aren't as involved as our usual images - we don't have the dancers do crazy moves or anything like that. It's just really to create some cute interactions and have fun."

Natalie Thomson, the director of marketing for the animal rescue, added that another goal of the "Muttcracker" project is to "help people realize that adoption is truly the best option" when bringing an animal into your life.

"These beautiful, healthy, happy animals are waiting in shelters across the country for a loving family to give them a chance," Thomson told Insider. "And this photo shoot does a wonderful job of conveying this important message."

Pratt said every animal featured in the "Muttcracker" photo shoots of 2018 and 2019 was adopted - most within a matter of days. And those featured in this year's photos are on track toward the same fate, according to the photographer.

Of course, the 2020 photo shoot was a bit different as a result of COVID-19 and other events that made for a rocky year. Still, Pratt, Kreidich, and all others involved knew that their holiday project was too important to their fans - and the featured animals - to skip.

"Everyone just needs something positive in 2020, so we really just had to do it again," Pratt said of the photo shoot.

Thomson added that while the Stray Rescue of St. Louis is "always thrilled" to be featured, those working for the donation-based organization knew that "this year would be more important than ever."

Pratt says she's especially proud of the fact that Dancers & Dogs can put a smile on people's faces, even during difficult times

"We have people now, our followers, who really look forward to it," Pratt told Insider. "It's one of those warm and fuzzy projects that makes people happy and gives them a smile."

And it's not just viewers who are happier as a result of this project; the featured animals are benefiting just as much, if not more.

"We've featured some animals that have special needs and may have a harder time finding a home that's right for them," Pratt said, adding that they've featured a dog with a wheelchair, as well as two dogs who have issues with their back legs. "They deserve to have a happy home, and I think they do now."

Thomson agreed, and described the impact of these photo shoots as nothing less than "incredible."

"We seek out and take in those who no other organization will help, or would simply euthanize because they are too expensive to heal," Thomson said of the Stray Rescue of St. Louis. "We rescue the abandoned, beaten, bred, fought, injured, terrified, defeated, and betrayed."

"The minute animals enter our doors, we look in their eyes and promise them all the second chance they deserve for health, home, commitment, and love, no matter the time or cost," she continued.

"Many of the animals in the photos were pulled from death row, recovered from gunshots, survived dog fights, and more," Thomson said. "To see them in this beautiful way really shows just how beautiful and brave they really are."

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