This Season's First Nutcracker Performance!

Last night was my first Nutcracker Performance of the 2014-2015 season.
It was quite warm outside (about 4C) and the snow was starting to melt. For other performances there was quite a lot of snow outside so this was different.

Mom, Dad and I tried to take a picture outside but we're not good at taking selfies.
They told me they were going out for dinner at a Raw Vegan Restaurant. I definitely prefer performing!

I got to the Four Seasons Centre early and the chaperones were there. I changed into my ballet clothes and hung out in the Karen Kain Studio with the other kids. We chatted and we ate our snacks. There are screens backstage where we can watch what is going on on stage so we could watch the performance too.

My roles were in the second act. We put on our costumes... For the guard costume it was pants, shoes, spats, goatee and then our jackets and hats. It was really cool!
I looked just like my Uncle J when I had on my goatee!

We went on stage with our halberds to protect the Sugar Plum Fairy. We are like the Queen's Guards.

We have a quick costume change and we get to put on our big chef costumes. It's a more comedic role. We go out on stage trying to catch a chicken that keeps getting away. We run up and down stairs and then we run out with our utensils.

After that we proudly present our food and Misha and Marie have a food fight!
We clean up the food and then we're off stage for a while.

We come back on stage just before the Sugar Plum Fairy and Peter go into the huge faberge egg together and also for the curtain call. 


Guillaume Côté was our Peter for this performance. He hurt his knee and Keiichi Hirano finished out the performance. I really hope that Guillaume Côté recovers quickly! He is such an amazing dancer and he's also a musician.


Here is a picture of me when I was leaving the theatre. 

Mom and Dad actually watched the show!!!  They completely fooled me. It was such a nice surprise. 

They also gave me a Nutcracker. :-)

Final Rehearsals for The Nutcracker

This week we had our final rehearsals for the National Ballet of Canada's "The Nutcracker". We had some rehearsals at the Walter Carsen Centre and the last rehearsals were at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. The Choreographer - James Kudelka watched as we rehearsed. Sometimes he even corrected us. It was so cool!!

When I was a mouse I knew how amazing it was to be a part of The Nutcracker.
Now I realize just how amazing it is to be around so many talented people! People who run the rehearsals, work on the sets, make the costumes, put on make up, play the music, organize everybody & everything, and of course, the dancers. The beautiful ballet is final product of the teamwork of all of these super-talented people.

It snowed a lot this week. But that doesn't stop rehearsals or performances.
Here are some pictures from outside the Four Seasons Centre.

Before and after my rehearsals I studied for my Intermediate Theory Exam.
I had my exam yesterday morning. I even finished it early.

Last night at the Orchestra Dress Rehearsal we had a full audience so it was really like a performance. I volunteered to substitute for a baby mouse who was late. I was glad to help out and I also got to do my own roles of chef and guard. It was so much fun!
I was on stage in both acts! I just love being on stage.

I would like to thank Miss Toto, Mr. Kastoff and everybody else at the National Ballet School for letting me be a part of such a wonderful production. I would also like to thank Mr. Kudelka for choreographing such a beautiful ballet!