A Coveted Spotlight: Dancing The Role of Clara

The last few notes of the overture ring through the theater and the lights dim. The pink

dress with all its lacy ruffles sits firmly on your hips, and you take a deep breath before

tentatively stepping a pointe-shoed foot out onto the darkened stage.

This is the moment that Jessica Hung, 16, and Mackenzie Trainor, 15, are preparing for.

They’ve been training for months – since the hot summer days when many of us were

relaxing on the beach – studying and rehearsing for a single role.

When asked to learn the part of Clara for Dance Prism’s The Nutcracker, Hung and

Trainor joined the ranks of dozens of young women who’ve danced the role over the

company’s 36-year history. Dozens of young women who’ve donned the familiar pink

dress, twirled to Tchaikovsky’s famed suite, and inspired hundreds of young audiences

across New England.

Dance Prism, a touring ballet company based in West Concord, MA, has been

producing their original version of The Nutcracker since the company’s inception. Their

touring company performs across the northeast, from Fall River, to Littleton, to

Worcester Massachusetts.

“Playing Clara means so much to me,” said Trainor, of Methuen, MA. “It’s been a dream

of mine since I was really young.”

The role of Clara represents more to young dancers than a simple promotion – it’s a

moment of recognition in a ballet company. Madeline Giglio, 21, of Marlborough MA,

played Clara from 2012-2014. “Once you were asked to perform Clara, it meant that the

company members trusted you,” she said.

Many of the young women who are asked to play Clara have danced in Dance Prism’s

production for many years. In fact, Maggie Morey, 19, of Littleton MA, had played seven

different characters in the ‘party scene’ alone when she learned the role in 2015. “I love

how I’ve been able to experience the scene through so many different perspectives over

the years,” she said.

The chance to personify a multitude of characters over the years gives dancers a well-

rounded understanding of performance, and allows them to find new ways to distinguish

their own movement. The soldiers in the battle scene must learn to sharpen every

movement as if they were truly made of wood, while the flower corps dance gently and

effortlessly to the lilting music of Waltz of the Flowers.

Playing so many different characters has unintended benefits as well – over time, it

allows dancers to find unique inside jokes within the production. For Carolyn Hitelman,

20, of Westford MA, this was her favorite part of the show. While dancing Clara in 2014

and 2015, she loved searching for hidden details every year. “If you look closely, there’s

a Dunkin’ Donuts ornament on the Christmas tree in the parlor,” she noted.

In addition to the unique features of the productions themselves, Dance Prism also

offers audiences an opportunity to meet the cast – a rarity in many ballet companies.

After every performance, the dancers in the roles of Clara, the Nutcracker, Sugarplum

Fairy, and Cavalier greet audiences as they exit the theater.

For Christina Melhorn, 17, of Westford MA, one of the company’s most recent Claras,

this moment means a lot. “My favorite part of playing Clara is just the way it reaches

people,” she said. “I love being able to see how my dancing affects the younger

generations of dancers and those who come to the shows.”

Indeed, the ability to do what you love and to inspire others with that passion is a truth

valued by dancers of many ages. Hung, of Needham MA, says that above all, it’s about

devotion, “no matter what role you’re performing.”

***Note: The author (Rachel Swansburg) performed the role of Clara in Dance Prism’s

The Nutcracker from 2013-2015.

You can see Dance Prism’s 36th Season of The Nutcracker at a theater near you! Visit www.danceprism.com for date/location details

About Dance Prism

Dance Prism, founded in 1982 by Scott Ranagan and Mary Demaso, is a classically focused ensemble that includes in its repertoire both such narrative ballets as The Nutcracker, A Tea Party with Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella and original neoclassical works. Among recent productions have been A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Frog Prince, The Magic of Merlin, the traditional comic ballet Coppélia, Scott Ranagan’s Snow White, Peter Pan, and the iconic romantic ballet Giselle. The 2017-2018 season began with Puss In Boots will continue in the spring The Merry Widow.

Dance Prism is composed of approximately 25 professional dancers and apprentices, supplemented for larger productions such as The Nutcracker by serious ballet students who audition annually for the company. Dance Prism’s casts include dancers based throughout the northeast region and eastern seaboard. The company also provides performances, lecture demonstrations, and workshops for a number of private and public schools and retirement communities throughout the region.

Dance Prism is a performance organization only, not affiliated with any school.