One of Christmas’ most classic traditions, “The Nutcracker” ballet, is performed worldwide by different dance companies. From small children’s theaters to professional companies on the world stage, the original story of “The Nutcracker,” with music by Piotre Tchaikovsky, is set in Germany.

Clara, a young girl falls asleep after a party where she is given a wooden nutcracker by her godfather. She dreams of the Land of Sweets and the Sugar Plum Fairy. Behind all of the holiday wonder and magic are many hardworking dancers. In a local production of “The Nutcracker,” one of the dedicated dancers is 8th grader Zoe M.

Zoe dances for Austin City Ballet (ACB), which puts forth an amazing effort every year to make their children’s “The Nutcracker” a splendid reality. “Everyone has worked so hard to get where we are,” Zoe said enthusiastically. Zoe has been dancing with ACB for a year now and this will be her first performance in the holiday ballet with this company. “The dancers work so well as a team. But really it’s more than a team- it’s like a big family.”

Since ACB has a smaller group than most other companies, every dancer has the opportunity to dance multiple roles. Younger children are mice, angels, and gingerbread kids in the Land of Sweets. The older dancers are snowflakes and perform multiple dances within the ballet. Zoe performs as one of the older party children as well as a rat, snowflake, and flower petal.

Rehearsal hours are long and tiring and generally last all day for older company members. Zoe described her feet as having several callouses, bruised toenails, and blisters, from working to make “The Nutcracker” as wonderful as possible.

ACB children’s “The Nutcracker” will be performed at the Dougherty Arts Center December 20th-22th. To support Zoe and learn more about the magic of “The Nutcracker,” visit Austin City Ballet’s website.

Aside from ballet and rehearsals, Zoe is a violinist in Canyon Vista’s orchestra and an active member of French Club.