Dance In The Nutcracker

I have been dancing in the Nutcracker with The Columbus Ballet since I was eight years old. When I was younger, I always dreamed of dancing a solo performance when I got older. In 2015, I finally got that chance. Although it wasn’t perfect, my first solo in the Nutcracker was just as exciting as I thought it would be as a young dancer. At the beginning of my freshman year, me and all the other dancers at the Columbus Ballet finally got to see which part we would play in the Nutcracker. I had never done a solo before, so the fact that it could be the year that I get cast in my first solo role was in the back of my mind. When I saw the cast list and my name was listed all by itself under ‘Ballerina Doll,’ I couldn’t have been more excited. Over the next several months, I loved every second of my private rehearsals with just me and the dancer playing the Sugar Plum Fairy, Harley, fittings for my adorable pink tutu with bows all over it, and getting to perform by myself for the little kids and seeing them watch me dance with wide eyes.
All I had was a skin colored leotard that I was supposed to wear under my leotard. While the director was trying to convince my mom that the nude leotard would be okay as my mom almost got to the point of yelling, I started scrambling to find something to wear. After no success with my mom, the director went up to another group of dancers to ask for one of their tops. They said yes, and I came very close to wearing a red, sparkly, fluffy top with my tights.
After Harley found a black leotard in her car, her mom ran up to me and handed me her workout top. With minutes to spare, I wore her burgundy tank top and a blue skirt I found in my dance bag. I performed, and even though the kids in the audience would have like my pink tutu more, at least I’m glad I got to dance for them. My first solo performance wasn’t like my eight-year-old fantasy, but at least I have an interesting memory behind