The Nutcracker Ballet

Seeing The Nutcracker Ballet has become a tradition for me - and every other year I bring my students along to see it. (Like this year.) A real plus is that I have former students who dance!

Meredith Roberts and me.

"Merry, Merry, Merry, Meredith" (her nickname) is one of my three year students as she was in the 2/3 class and then the 4/5. She's now a sophomore in high school, and dances en pointe. She danced several roles today - the housekeeper, a snowflake, a flower, and as the soloist in Trepak.

As I watched her dance, I thought back to when she was a second grader and I was meeting her for the first time. Her sister, Madeline, was also in the 2/3 class. I don't remember all of the conversion, but I was getting to know the girls and Madeline was talking about Merry. "She's grumpy!" she declared. I turned to look at Merry and she looked up at me very solemnly and nodded in agreement with her sister. I had a tough time not bursting into laugher.

Eight years later (and with no sign of grumpiness), Merry still makes me smile, whether she is pirouetting across the stage or giving me a hug after her curtain call.