Nutcracker Auditions

Ah, Nutcracker auditions.  Always the Saturday after Labor Day, always much-anticipated, always assuming much more import than they should.  Here are 4 of the 5 auditioners, after Golda and Ruby's audition and Ari and Freestone's ballet and modern classes, waiting in the alley for Xanthe to come out of her modern class.

They were being very silly.  Photobomber in action!

 Who knew this kid would grow up to like dance so much? Right now, he has ballet twice a week, modern once and ballroom twice.  It's fun seeing him work so hard.

 This is the progression of feelings waiting for Nutcracker results.  Calm...

 Not calm...

 Agony...

 Hysteria...

 Anguish and despair...

 Exhaustion.

 OTHER dancers were more happy after auditions.  This one suggested Kaysville Theater popcorn, which is always a good idea.  Nothing could bring her down after her very first Nutcracker audition.

Results came out on Sunday.  We were relaxing at Grandma and Grandpa's house when Ruby let out a huge gasp and raced into the other room.  The rest of us immediately clicked our refresh buttons and scrolled through the lists.  You already know I was looking for Araceli's name first, and didn't see it.  I had immediately seen that Freestone got the part of The Nephew, but he was out playing, so I kept looking and saw little Xanthe's name as a Cupcake,  I'm so happy for her!  Her wiry, muscular, tiny body is quite good at dancing.  It seems to be in her bones.  Ruby is in Snow Coprs and Waltz Corps, and Golda got both of those, plus a solo part as a Reed Flute.  They were both ecstatic and relieved.

Araceli's disappointment notwithstanding, Nutcracker is going to be a lot of fun this year.  It adds about a hundred extra rehearsals to our schedule, but who's counting at this point?  Just kidding.  It's only 50.  I'm doing the Chinese again, which I love.  In fact, I love all of it.  Sometimes I resent Nutcracker for being so disproportionately meaningful.  But them I love it for being such a beautiful presence in our lives.  The music, the lights, the dancers, the tradition...let's get started.