Nutcracker firsts

I took Anna to see her first Nutcracker ballet today. She thought it was "awesome." I agreed. I've seen the Nutcracker performed in three major cities, and I thought today's performance was the best ever. It was playful and humorous and gorgeous. And quick. Each half was only about 45 minutes long--perfect for all the youngsters in the audience.

The coolest thing, though: At intermission, I ran into Chase, one of my favorite students from this quarter. He was all dressed up, and I mistook him at first for an usher.

He said, "Oh, no, I'm not working here, I'm just here to support Emily."

Who?" I said.

"Emily, my girlfriend," he said. "She's one of the dancers."

He'd mentioned at some point in class that his girlfriend did ballet, and that the two of them had moved to the midwest from Texas so she could pursue her art. But I had NO idea that she was a professional with a major company.

"Which character is she playing?" I asked.

"She's Clara. The older Clara, of course."

Wow! How cool is that?!

Turns out that Chase also used to dance professionally and had performed in the Nutcracker numerous times. But he retired last year because of some hip problems, and now he's pursuing his education.

Bravo, Chase and Emily!

Wide-eyed and waiting...one minute till showtime.