By MORGAN MOORE
Beakon Staff Writer
YOUNGSTOWN — The Nutcracker is a classic ballet, mostly performed during a weekend in December. The story behind The Nutcracker is a little girl getting a nutcracker, and it comes to life. When it comes to life it fights the Mouse King, and goes on adventures to different places.
Cardinal Mooney senior, Addie Kelley, is going to be setting the stage this year at The Nutcracker. This is her last year doing the Nutcracker. She has been performing in The Nutcracker since she was sixteen years old.
“I was inspired to do The Nutcracker because everyone else was doing i,t“ Kelley said.“ I knew it was the right choice to make.“
Kelley is a student at Ballet Western Reserve, a dance school located downtown Youngstiown.
There are so many different characters in the ballet, creating opportunities for different personalities, and different forms of dance. Every role in the ballet is magical, including Kelley’s.
“I’m a doll in The Nutcracker,” she said. “I’m a gift from Calaris uncle Drosselmyer, a flower, Russian, and I’m snow.“
All the members of ballet put all their hard work into the art. And even though they worked hard in the ballet, they still had fun. From all the practices to prepare for The Nutcracker there are memories made.
There are so many memories made from The Nutcracker, but there is always one that stands out. Kelley has a memory that stands out to her.
“When all my senior friends were in The Nutcracker” she said. “ It was very sentimental.“
The Nutcracker is more than just a ballet thing to the members of the ballet. It’s something where they can come together and do the thing they love to do, which is dance. They create a bond which makes The Nutcracker even more meaningful to them.
Being on stage in front of a whole audience can sometimes be scary. It can leave some people nervous or scared.
“ I get nervous backstage, when I go onstage I just black out.“
Sometimes a dancer on stage can mess up on stage. Even if they mess up they should just keep going. That’s what’s important, if you mess up keep going.
“ At a dress rehearsal I fell.“ Kelley said. “ I went to turn and I hit my face on the ground.“
Even though this happened to her she got back up and did it again. This incident did not stop her. She never gave up. Never giving up is a good thing to learn, and The Nutcracker can teach people that.
Kelley suggests people join The Nutcracker.
“If you think about it, just do it,“ She said “It will change your life.“