Nutcracker Flashback- Blogmas Day 8

'Tis that time of the year! With everyone about to open their run of The Nutcracker, I thought I would go back and look at all of the different characters I've played since my first nutcracker in 1998.

Here we have my very first nutcracker! I was a caroler in the prologue (with my dad in the middle as the priest!), and I was a mouse.  While at Ballet San Jose, I was always a mouse, because that was the only student role.

I'm the one on the bottom right

My twin sister Victoria (left) and myself being goofy.

In 2004, I moved to the San Francisco Ballet School, where I was a rich girl in the prologue, and a butterfly in the opening of Act II.  I was so excited because this was an entirely new production of The Nutcracker, and I was the first student out on stage! That kind of thing is a big deal when you're 11 years old! (Rich girl costume not pictured)

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I'm the butterfly who is 3rd from the left

The next season I was a party girl! I got to be Clara's best friend, which I thought was really cool!  My name was Carolina Pessego.

I'm in the pink dress on the far right.

 In the next couple of years I was a soldier in the fight scene and a dragonfly in the opening of Act II.

I'm in the back with the black and gold hat.

 When I was 15, I started learning company roles! This was incredibly exciting for me, and was my first real experience with dancing with a professional company.  I was a flower vendor in the prologue, I was Mrs. Greene in the party scene, and I got to dance snowflake and flower!

Me in my flower vendor costume with my dad, who was the Policeman in the prologue.

Snowflakes with my friend Caitlin.

Flowers with my friends Lauren and Caitlin.

During my trainee year at SFB, I got to learn and perform the Dancing Doll with the San Francisco Symphony!

Don't mind the photo-bomb...

 While dancing with the Cincinnati Ballet, I danced as a party parent, a snowflake, a flower, and a mirlipoo.  Unfortunately, I do not have pictures of these costumes!

I hope you enjoyed this stroll down memory lane with me!

Does your family ever get to see The Nutcracker?

-Fly high, little birds!