Watch a minor league hockey team try out for The Nutcracker ballet

The guys on the Charlotte Checkers roster do more than just play hockey, they also have a deep love of the art of dance, and they recently gave another shot at realizing their dreams of becoming professional ballet dancers as they tried out for the Charlotte Ballet's staging of the Christmas classic, The Nutcracker.

The guys on the Charlotte Checkers roster do more than just play hockey, they also have a deep love of the art of dance. They recently gave a shot at realizing their dreams of becoming professional ballet dancers as they tried out for the Charlotte Ballet's staging of the Christmas classic, The Nutcracker.

The players may not be the most graceful dancers you have ever seen, but they more than make up for it with a combination of optimism and mustaches.

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In the end none of Checkers make the cut, but they vow to return next year, much to the artistic director's dismay.

- Brendan Maloy