One of Emma’s favorite holiday movies was a video we had of a NYC Ballet production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker starring Damian Woetzel and Darci Kistler with Kevin Kline narrating. We probably watched that video 10 times each holiday season, until just recently, when we still watched it at least once or twice during the season. When Emma was 6, I got tickets to see the NYC Ballet’s The Nutcracker. It was the exact same production, with the same stars, same set; all it was missing was Kevin Kline’s narration. Emma was beside herself. Needless to say we went back several times over the years.
Then, when Emma was in 6th grade, she got the opportunity to actually be in the NYC Ballet production of The Nutcracker. Her role was small, she played a toy soldier, but you can imagine her excitement at being part of a production she had watched for years and years. And all her heroes were there with her backstage, Damian Woetzel, Darci Kistler, Wendy Whelan. It was pretty amazing. 
For the next 2 Christmas seasons, Emma was dancing at a studio that did their own production of The Nutcracker, so Emma got to dance as a mouse, a flower and a snowflake. It’s amazing to look back and see how far she took a passion that started when she was 3 with a nutcracker toy from Santa and a Christmas video.
And to think we may have connected even then as I was in the pit for Stamford productions of the Nutcracker with NYC Ballet. I also played in NYC with the ballet before she was born. Sigh. Great to see her in these pics. Even her chubby hands, which she never liked, are graceful the way she points them.
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