The Nutcracker

Okay, as a child growing up I was never into ballet. Something about watching people prance around on their toes was to me much like someone scraping their nails along a chalkboard. It just gave me the heebie jeebies to see something so excruciating. I guess I was always more of a gymnastics and figure skating afficionado.

I remember back in high school when I was in drama, I had a brief stint as a ballerina in a musical. I forget if it was in The Music Man or Oklahoma!, but it was one of them. I learned asome basic moves. I wasn't the most graceful ballerina, but I had fun trying to be. I think I fancied myself more like Jennifer Beals in Flashdance. Then my teacher asked some of us to help out a local ballet company during their annual performance of this famous ballet. My responsibilities included applying makeup to several little girls and managing some props. It was my first experience with the actual ballet. I still wasn't an avid fan or anything, but I began to tolerate it a bit more.

Then a few years back, my husband took me to see a live performance of The Nutcracker for my birthday. It was an amazing experience that I have never forgotten. While I had always loved Tchaikovsky's music, seeing the score set to dancing really brought it to life in a way I had never imagined. For the first time, I could truly appreciate ballet for what it was, a beautiful form of artistic expression that takes real dedication and hard work on the part of the dancers.

Though I still can't fathom how they manage to dance on their toes like that. It just looks so painful. I know that ballet shoes have some sort of padding, but I believe it takes years to build up the strength to be able to perform the really challenging moves. Now that my own daughter is showing signs of a budding ballerina, I am thinking we may put her into a ballet class at some point and see what happens. She loves to twirl and prance about.

As I sit here and type this, I am listening to and half-watching The Nutcracker on PBS. It brings me back to the live performance I enjoyed so much. I can now say I am a true fan of the ballet and aim to see many more shows in the future. I don't know how many different ones there are, but I would at the very least love to see Swan Lake. Kevin and I can't wait to take our kids to see The Nutcracker for the first time.