Sacramento Ballet Nutcracker

This year Lainey auditioned with her cousin Annika for the

Sacramento Ballet Nutcracker.

Over 700 children lined the street around the ballet studio to land a part in this

beloved Christmas classic.
She was so nervous!

Lainey was placed as a "cherub" and Annika as a "cook."

Lainey hadn't see the Nutcracker LIVE since

age 3 and had no memory of it.

So I took her to see the show a week before her performance

and she was captivated by it!

Here are some pictures from the 2008 Sacramento Ballet Performance:

 

 

This is a short video
of various clips from the Sac Ballet Nutcracker
show in 2008.

The video lighting is dark on this clip,

but it gives you a little taste of it.  (Lainey's angel scene was not on this video)

My favorite scene is the snow queen/king and snowflakes. 

Here are a few pictures during rehearsals at the Sacramento Community Theater

Annika marching across the stage with her lollipop

The ballerina girl Melissa Sandvig from the show "So you think you can dance" performed

with the company on opening night and "Sweet Sunday" which was very exciting for fans of that show.




Here are some beautiful pictures my sister in law Stacey took backstage for me.

Lainey is with her cast of Cherubs here.

When she would come home from rehearsals,

we would have to hear about

how grossed out she was to see men in those tights.   haha

Lainey's center angel surprised her with a special gift

I'm grateful Stacey was there to capture this special moment on film!

Lainey came home so excited to show me the porcelain angel she gave her.

Stacey said the other little girls were in awe of her getting

a gift like that from one of the angels.

So cute!

 

 

 

 

 Lainey showing Annika her angel

cousins

 cousins

Lainey and Annika were able to be placed in the same cast

and performed on Dec. 18th and 19th.  (Friday and Saturday)

We were fortunate Grandma T was still in town

and bought tickets for herself and Aunt Pat

for this Friday show.

I went on Saturday night with the whole family.

 

These pictures were right before her first performance.  She loved

being on stage with all the clouds surrounding her feet. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was such a beautiful and magical show!

The scenery was breathtaking and the orchestra

outstanding.

Next year Baila and Luke

want to audition for Mother Ginger's children. :D

  It was so cute to watch

how mesmerized Luke was during the

whole performance.   Those two have been practicing

their cartwheels and listening to

the soundtrack ever since!

*pictures from the Sacramento Ballet

 

*picture from here

 

Here are some clips of the Nutcracker I watched obsessively as a child:

(from the ABT's 1977 performance with Baryshnikov and Gelsey Kirkland)

the Pas de deux from Ballet West: