en pointe choreography. Blain (left) and George Loheac (right) rehearse a tender moment between Clara and the Nutcracker. With the COVID-19 pandemic intensifying, the 2020 holiday season is unlike any other in modern history. Many gatherings with family and friends won’t take place, and performing arts venues across the country remain shuttered. After over nine months, pandemic fatigue is palpable. Still, people are finding ways to connect and celebrate, including the students of Interlochen Arts Academy. On Dec. 12 and 15, respectively, Academy students will sustain and reinvigorate two popular Interlochen holiday traditions, The Nutcracker and Sounds of the Season. Although these familiar events will look a little different this year, tenacity, resilience, and gratitude energize them like never before.