"And an excellent taste for music..." ~ Jane Eyre

The other day I asked Ed if he would take Jack to see The Nutcracker when Jack was older.

Ed got a mischievous smile on his face and replied, "Only when he is old enough to hate it."

We had a good laugh, and of course I look forward to the trip we all take to Lincoln Center one day with Jack. Ed hasn't seen it either, and I know he will love it.

Sarah will laugh at me the day we get tickets. I swore that I will never, ever go to that ballet again! After three Christmas seasons of performing in the Eglevsky's Nutcracker (two of which were with Sarah), I admit that I was a bit cracked out from it all. However, Tchaikovsky's score to the ballet is irresistible.

Some of my best memories of Christmastime involved the years I was a tiny dancer in the show. I remember after the first audition the dance directors told us immediately that we had made the role of angels. I went out into the hallway to tell my mom, and she was so excited that she picked me up, spun me around, and screamed in delight. My mother and father certainly treated me like I was the Sugar Plum Fairy those years; they were there each performance, bringing friends and family and always bringing flowers. Missy and Robin were always supportive, even though I think they got a little cracked out, too!

Some of my fondest memories as an angel...
~ getting to wear makeup at 7 years of age
~ practicing in the dance studios at City Center with the older members of the company
~ the costumes which had hoop skirts as big as Scarlet O'Hara's
~ the company party we had where we got autographs from the dancers
~ the sugarplum party after a performance where we would meet and greet the children who came to see the show in our costumes
~ getting chosen to stay onstage during all of Act II with Clara during a performance; it was an afternoon show and out of the corner of my eye I kept looking at Grandpa Krikor and Grandma Anoush
~ missing school to go to a dress rehearsal and having an official note from the dance company to give to my teacher

Some of my fondest memories as a soldier...
~ having Sarah there (she was an angel that year)
~ getting my picture taken with Sara for the Williston Times
~ the toy rifle I had as a prop
~ the red dot stickers that were placed on my cheeks before showtime
~ being smushed into the small cabinet before entering onstage; the tree grew next to us and it was always cool to watch
~ the crescendo of music that built up to our entrance
~ the fact that I got to wear pants as a costume, not anything frilly
~ the dressing rooms were with the older girls who danced in the party scene

If I could pick one favorite scene from the ballet, I think its the dance of the Snowflakes. It happened right after the soldier's danced, so I would remain in the wings and watch the snowflakes fall.

To this day I still remember the choreography to those to dance roles. Its unbelievable, but I still remember the music counts and the exact steps.

There are still some remnants of those days even today. There is the ballerina ornament on my tree; one of the last things Grandpa Krikor gave me before he died. There is the soldier ornament on my tree, which I had John hang this year as we trimmed my tree. And of course, there is always the music...