And she danced...

The Nutcracker

Some of you may know that Karsyn has been involved in dance for a year or so now. Actually, she’s started taking ballet as a pip-squeak a couple of years ago, but has been involved in a little more than a year. I’ve not been a huge fan of the whole thing, because of a bad experience I had with her first formal performance. I’m not enamored by the way the studio seems to siphon money out of the parents for every little detail.

Anyway, she enjoys it, and I haven’t pushed back on it, so it is what it is. Anyway, her studio somehow is involved with an upcoming performance of the Nutcracker by the Moscow Ballet. They held open auditions for the children’s parts last Friday, and low and behold, Karsyn made the cut.

I’m not sure there really was a cut, but I do know that she will be spending many weekends until the end of December rehearsing for this performance. Now, I can’t tell you how renowned the Moscow Ballet is, but it sounds impressive doesn’t it? They at least own the url: http://www.nutcracker.com/ I have to think that there’s got to be some pull there.

This isn’t the Bolshoi Ballet, but it is the touring company that is best known for it’s rendition of the Nutcracker.

In any case, there is a real live Russian instructor teaching the kids. His name is Boris Baskarov, but “Boris Badanov” seems easier, so that’s what I’ve going to refer to him as over the next few months.

I dropped K off at her rehearsal on Saturday and got to see them in action. There’s certainly a divide between her and the kids that have received more formal ballet training. But, I have to say that I’m pretty impressed with this seven year-old kid trying to play the part of a ballerina. She seems to be very focused (wish we could channel that to some other areas!), and she’s having a good time.

At the S.F. Ballet

The history here is that Sonya has taken her to see the Nutcracker every year for as long as I can remember. Seriously, I can’t think of the last time she hasn’t seen the performance come holiday time. Karsyn also use to go to sleep listening to the music of Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet every night for years. Needless to say, she dug up the CD and is once again counting sugar plum fairies jumping over her bed each night.

So, kind of ironic that she’ll be the one out on the stage this year. She will be dancing in two different scenes. The first is the party scene in Act I. She’ll also be appearing as an angel in one of the latter acts.

For those who need a refresher on the story line, checkout Wikipedia