Laura's First Nutcracker

This past weekend was the culmination of months of preparation for Laura. She has been taking Ballet I through the college's community dance program, and all of her hard work resulted in 4 very successful performances in the program's annual production of The Nutcracker. We saw the show in Lincoln last year, and she has been pretty obsessed with it ever since, so it was quite a big deal for her to be able to be in it. This is the 15th year the program has put the show on, and it has grown from 40 dancers in its first year to over 200 this year (ages 3-adult). Nutcracker purists might have a difficult time at first with the artistic liberties taken to accommodate this many dancers, but the production is very well done, and it appears to be one of the most popular annual events in town. If we lived in a bigger city, it likely would be years before Laura would've been able to be in a show like this, so we all (she in particular) really embraced this opportunity.

The week started off with a parent meeting/finale rehearsal on Saturday morning (Dec. 3). She and I then had a very late night Wednesday for the full dress rehearsal. This gave her a chance to get accustomed to the stage, and me a chance to learn the ropes to survive the craziness of backstage! Thursday night, she had her regular ballet class, and then Friday the performance marathon began. They performed for local school kids Friday morning and for the public Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. 4 shows in 3 days--a lot for such little girls! Despite the busy schedule, I am proud to say that Laura handled herself beautifully, both onstage and during the many hours of waiting backstage. We got to hang out, play card games, color, and talk to other people. We also got to learn the do's and don'ts of getting a bun to stay in for a 6-year-old with only mid-length hair.......let's just say I had a steep learning curve! :)

Laura being silly backstage. We were lucky to find seats to sit with other Ballet I people on what we called the "calm end of the hallway."


Laura ready to go onstage Friday morning:

Laura and her very good friend before Friday morning's curtain call:

The entire Ballet I class before Saturday night's curtain call. It's not easy to get 12 4-7-year-olds to stand still and pose!

After Sunday's performance, we went out for a celebratory dinner and gave Laura her very own Nutcracker.

Great work, Laura! We are so very, very proud of you!!!!

Gina