My experience with The Nutcracker started when I was four years old. On クリスマス Eve that year, my parents took me to see Oregon Ballet Theatre's production of The Nutcracker, thinking of course that it would be a fun thing for me to see. I remember little of it now, just a vague impression of people dancing and pastel colors; however, I do remember the Sugar 梅 Fairy. In her ピンク tutu and wand, she captured my four-year-old heart. My mom has since told me that the first thing i 発言しました when the performance was “I want to be in The Nutcracker some day.” Though my parents didn't know it at the time, those seven words would prove to be life changing.

For my 次 birthday, my parents gave me ballet lessons as a present. I started that 年 at OBT, in the “creative movement” (now known as pre-ballet) class. I can't say that in that first 年 I did much that could be considered dancing, it was もっと見る running around with scarves to music, but I loved it. As I moved up in the school, the dancing became もっと見る challenging and we started learning the names of steps and positions. Using terms like plié, tendu, développé, and changement all became 秒 nature.

When I was 10, I decided to audition for The Nutcracker for the first time. My mom warned me to not get my hopes up and to not expect anything, and just as she predicted, I did not get in. I was much younger than most of the girls there and so though I was disappointed, I was not devastated. The 次 年 I auditioned again, and I got in! I was ecstatic when I opened that letter and saw the words “You have been chosen for the role of Party Girl.” Finally my goal that I had made six years previously, my dream of being in The Nutcracker had finally come true.

Rehearsals started in September and every Saturday all of the children in Party Scene would have rehearsal. They were long, but によって December I felt like I could do my part in my sleep. However, when I walked on the stage of the Keller Auditorium for the first time, I was astonished. Looking out from the stage, the red-velvet seats glared back at me. Though I had watched numerous performances there, I never realized just how large an auditorium of 3,000 seats really was. Opening night was extremely nerve-wracking for me. I constantly went over my steps in my head and the fear that I would get on stage and forget everything I had learned. The 蝶 in my stomach were overwhelming, but once I got on stage they flew away and I didn't forget a thing.

Seven years and もっと見る than 100 performances later, I have performed the roles of Party Girl, Russian Candy, Soldier, Polichenelle, キャンディー Cane, Chinese, and Snowflake. I barely remember a December where Nutcracker didn't dominate my life. There have been many ups and downs over the years; balancing school and ballet along with rehearsals, not getting certain parts, the 一覧 goes on...

It's interesting to see the change in my view of The Nutcracker. This past 年 I have become somewhat disallusioned to the whole thing, and I can tell あなた that it will be a long time before I will choose to go see another performance of it. Now if I hear the music, especially when it's played in malls または grocery stores, drives me crazy! Before performing in it I could listen to Tchaikovsky's beautiful score, but now I am constantly counting the 音楽 または anticipating my 次 entrance. Has my experience with ballet, and in particular The Nutcracker, been a benefit to my life? Despite all of the blood, sweat, and tears (and I mean that quite literally) that have gone into it, I think that it has. In any rate, I haven't ever known any different.