Each year, the Lawrence Arts Center puts on a winter performance. Their most famous being A Kansas Nutcracker. This show is an adaption of the classical Nutcracker with a Lawrence twist.

I began performing in A Kansas Nutcracker during the first year of the show when I was only seven years old. My first role was a snowflake, a part given to little girls in the Snow dance. Most of the dance was just posing and skipping around the older dancers.

Despite the unimportance of the role, it gave me the drive and desire to continue my dancing career. The older dancers with their pointe shoes and tutus were my idols and being in their shoes one day only seemed like a dream.

This year, performing in my ninth winter performance, I have been honored with the role of Snow Queen, the part I adored and only dreamed of ever receiving. When I was given this role I felt like a little girl all over again.

Preparing for such a large role required hours of rehearsal. I met with my dance instructor every Friday and Sunday starting in October and ending in the first week of December. These rehearsals generally lasted from one to two hours.

Once these practices were over, final rehearsal week began. This is a week full of rehearsals running anywhere from five to eight hours. During this time the cast comes together to perfect the show and get performance ready.

While most people would find this routine to be too demanding and time consuming, I can not get enough of it. The amount of time spent is worth achieving the perfect performance.

Being lifted into the air during the Snow Queen Pas de Deux is one of the most amazing feelings in the world. Flying through the air knowing that all eyes are on you in that one moment is all a ballerina could ask for.

The perfect moment on stage is why Ido this. The rush of adrenaline I get from that perfect turn or majestic lift makes all my hard work worth it. There’s no better feeling than performing. There’s no place else I’d rather be.