Back Bay residents take part in Boston Ballet's 'Nutcracker'

by Sandra Miller
Back Bay Sun
The Boston Ballet’s 41st annual performance of The Nutcracker, selects 244 children, including 30 local dancers, to perform as dolls, cavalry, reinder, lambs, mice, and the role of Clara.
Fiona, 9, and Nicola Henderson, 11, of Marlborough Street, were soldiers this year. Veterans of the Boston Ballet School since they were 3 years old, their mom, Laura Henderson, first enrolled them “for coordination and posture. They decided they wanted to continue,” she said.
About five years ago, they tried out for “The Nutcracker,” and were thrilled when they were selected. “A lot try out, a lot make it, a lot don’t,” said Henderson. “It’s luck, height, how you fit into the costumes. It’s a great experience for kids to be a part of.”
They were soldiers last year, too, and before that, angels. Last week, the girls performed for the mayor, whose wife and granddaughter brought them flowers.
The rehearsals begin in October, on top of ballet classes. It’s six ballet days a week for the Henderson girls, whose 6-year-old sister plans to try out in two years. They don’t perform in all 35 shows, however. The child dancers are split into three groups, so each performs in about 12 shows.
“It’s a commitment on every parent’s part,” said Henderson, who socializes with the other Nutcracker parents, and serves on the Boston Ballet’s board of overseers. “It’s an honor for every parent. The first time is always special. This time, they know the drill. They love being in it. It’s such great exercise.”
For boy dancers, it’s a little more physical. “I have to keep fit, so I have to do push-ups and sit-ups and also run,” said Jefferson Payne, 13, of Taylor Street, who plays Fritz. “Before class, you have to stretch and be prepared. Every step in ballet class is another step you get better in. It’s very inspiring. I really love it.”
Jefferson has been with Boston Ballet for 10 years, and is in his sixth year with “The Nutcracker”. His debut was as a baby mouse, and he loved it, so he went on to being a party boy for two years, and has been Fritz for the past three years. “Each year, you learn something new,” he said. “There are other Fritzes you get inspired by. It’s actually really different than last year, even though I have the same part. You have different people performing, and different sub-casts. There are problems on stage that you have to fix.”
Jefferson is in eighth grade at the Josiah Quincy School, where he also performs in school productions. He also plays the piano and guitar and is learning how to tap dance and do flamenco.
“I really love expressing myself,” said Jefferson, who wants to be a professional dancer someday. “I love to perform and love showing the audience what I can do.”
He advises anyone, including boys interested in dancing, to try ballet. “It’s very good in that whatever happens, if you get let down, you learn to keep on trying and never give up. Someday your dream will come true,” he said.
The annual holiday tradition of Boston Ballet’s The Nutcracker, this year back at the restored Opera House, runs through December 28. The Nutcracker, a classical ballet based on a story by E.T.A. Hoffmann, follows the journey of young Clara, who receives a nutcracker as a gift at a Christmas Eve party. Her nutcracker is ultimately transformed into a handsome young prince, who leads her through an enchanted forest and on to the Palace of Sweets, where she meets the Sugar Plum Fairy. Among the ballet’s most famous and memorable moments are a battle between toy soldiers and overgrown mice, a Christmas tree that grows to huge heights, the pas de deux for the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier, and a shimmering snow scene. It’s a must-see for many Boston families, and for many kids an introduction to the performing arts.
Tickets to “The Nutcracker” can be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 617-931-2787, by visiting www.ticketmaster.com or in person at Boston Ballet, 19 Clarendon Street, Boston, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5p.m.
Locke-Ober is offering free dessert to all children who dine with their families at the restaurant before or after a performance of the Boston Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” this holiday season. To qualify, the child must be 15 and under, and must present their theater ticket stub. “I can still recall my first meal at Locke-Ober as a young child,” said chef Lydia Shire. “My eyes were wide as saucers and just in awe of this beautiful building.”