Pictured: Seven student dancers from Dorchester are performing in this year’s “The Nutcracker.” Back row from left: Nuria Zongo, Mairead Manning, Matilda Curd, and Matilda Xia. Front row: Siobhan Manning, Aliya Lambright, and Stella Kaplan.
By Isabella Robbins, Special to the Reporter
Attending Boston Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” is a great way to get in the Christmas spirit and is a cherished tradition for many families, whether attending the show or dancing in it as a student performer. All children performing in “The Nutcracker” at the Citizens Bank Opera House in Downtown Crossing are students of the Boston Ballet School and its professional division at Walnut Hill School for the Arts. More and more Dorchester dancers are participating and, until recently, I was one of them!
Students are trained and coached by artistic leadership that includes Boston Ballet Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen, Children’s Rehearsal Director Melanie Atkins, and other faculty. For two years in a row, I performed as one of the student dancers in a variety of roles. Unfortunately, I am too tall now for any of the roles offered to the student performers, and after nine years at BBS, I stopped my dance education there to focus on other activities.
Isabella Robbins danced with BBS for nine years, and twice performed in “The Nutcracker.”
When I was little, my family brought me to see “The Nutcracker” and from then on, my dream was to perform in the ballet. The next year, I started my journey at BBS hoping to one day be in the big show. The first year that I was eligible to audition, the pandemic sidelined that dream as, sadly, they didn’t allow any students to participate in the performances that year. However, I was able to audition the following year.
On audition weekend in September, I was excited but also very scared. We waited in line for what seemed like forever to check in, then we waited even longer for the directors to enter and start the audition. We did a simple routine across the floor over and over again. It was a part of the party scene that is in the first act of “The Nutcracker.” We also did a lot of standing around while the directors were writing down every student’s audition number and evaluating us. Then they lined us up one final time for callbacks. Everyone got a card with a different color and instructions for a second audition.
After callbacks, it was a week-long wait until students were notified if they made the cut or not. I remember praying every day leading up to the results, which were sent by email. When we learned I was in, I was so happy, nervous, and excited about my role. Quickly after that we started practicing and trying on costumes. Rehearsals begin shortly after results are sent out and continue a few times a week in October and November.
During the week leading up to the opening, performers have many rehearsals on stage at the Opera House, and finally, the first show.
Nutcracker Season is a whirlwind for the dancers and their parents. The first year, I was a flower seller in the opening scene, where the character Drosselmeyer is in his shop and foreshadows what is going to happen later. This role had a lot of dancing, but even more acting. The following year, I was a Page, which is one of the Sugar Plum Fairy’s guards. We started on stage in Act two and got to remain there for the rest of the performance. The costume was beautiful but very heavy and often student dancers would start to feel ill being on stage for so long under the hot lights.
To be on stage at the Opera House is surreal, looking out at the ornate paintings and the captive audience. After the performance, it was fun to come out of the stage door with many of the professional dancers and have spectators asking to take pictures of us and sign their playbills.
Costumes are beautifully designed by the acclaimed and award winning designer Robert Perdziola. However, as most ballet dancers are short, they are not designed for tall ballet dancers like me.
This year there are seven BBS students from Dorchester who are performing in “The Nutcracker” and making their own great memories. They are Aliyah Lambright (Polichinelle), Matilda Curd (Page), Matilda Xia (Page), Mairead Manning (Party Girl), Siobhan Manning (Party Girl), Stella Kaplan (Mouse), and Nuriah Zongo (Urchin).
“The Nutcracker” will run through Dec. 28. Break a leg to all those performing this year!
Isabella Robbins, 14, of Dorchester is an eighth grade student at Archbishop Williams School in Braintree who danced in the BBS for nine years. She is a member of the National Jr. Honor Society and plays JV Volleyball and JV softball. She also dances competitively for Miss Linda’s School of Dance in Dorchester. She attended St. Brendan School Grammar School.
Courtesy photos
