Northville Student Performs in 'Radio City Christmas Spectacular'

The world-famous Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, TN, has featured some of the biggest names in country music, including Patsy Cline, Hank Williams and Dolly Parton, to name a few.

For the holidays, Northville elementary school student Lauren Yakima will be on its stage – performing with the high-kicking Rockettes – for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.

“The coolest thing for me was to be at the Grand Ole Opry because there were famous country singers on the stage,” Lauren said.

“I play the role of Clara, and she has a Christmas dream, and her dreams come true about having this one nutcracker,” she said of her role in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.

Lauren, 10, is a dancer at the Noretta Dunworth School of Dance in Dearborn and is a fifth-grader at . She beat more than 60 girls from around the country who were vying for the role of Clara. The show is featured only in New York City, Nashville, Durham, NC, and Boston.

Since November, Lauren and her mother, Mary Beth Yakima, have been in Nashville preparing for the role. Lauren and her friend Sarah Sieole, a Dearborn resident, alternate the role of Clara.

“The people, cast and crew have been wonderful with the girls. It’s really like a family,” Yakima said. “I really feel like the girls don’t want this to end.”

For Lauren and her family, dancing in the show is something of a family affair. Lauren's older sister Amy previously played the part of Clara, and her cousin is a Rockette in New York.

“They hope to be in same show someday,” Yakima said. “She’s handling this fabulously. She talks about being in the Radio City show with her sister and cousin.”

Yakima said that outside of learning specific dance techniques, her daughter has been taught other lessons. She said the girls have learned to take corrections to better themselves and have learned discipline in their schedules and dance. They’ve also gotten to work with the Rockettes and see how such shows work behind the scenes – which will be valuable to Lauren, who said she would like to turn dancing into a career.

“When I grow up, I hope that I can tour with Broadway shows or try to get in some movies as a background dancer,” she said.

Support from friends and family back home have kept her motivated.

“They’re like, ‘Oh, you’re so lucky,’ and, ‘We miss you,’ and, ‘We hope you do well.’ It makes me feel happy and makes me feel good,” Lauren said.