The 16th Day of Christmas ...Nutcracker anyone?

When Rich and I were first married and college students at WVU...he took me to my first performance of the Nutcracker, performed by the Pittsburgh Ballet.  I loved it!...fast forward...through the years I collected every type of nutcracker I could find!!

Notice the Mouse King is missing an ear...battle injury!

Fast forward again...all three of our girls took dance lessons for at least 10 years each at Tonie's Dance Workshop.  Through her studio the girls were able to perform in the Nutcracker Ballet several years with the Moscow Ballet.  The Ballet traveled with the main performers, sets, and costumes, and in each city they visited, local dance studios provided students with the opportunity to play toy soldiers, mice, children in the party scene, snowflakes, angels...etc. 

Nicole performed as a toy soldier in the famous fight scene between the mouse king and the nutcracker soldier.  She only did it one year...the stage director, Fiona, was a wicked task master!!

Chelsea started out as a mouse in her first appearance in the Nutcracker and  the next 2 years was a guest at the house party...wearing her first and only red dress.  Katelyn played a snowflake and an angel and a party guest!  Her big moment as a snowflake was being picked up and spun around by one of the male Russian dancers...yikes!

The girls have been out of dancing for several years now and I do find myself missing the annual performance.  I think it is too late this year...but next year I may have to do some research and go see it....hmmm New York maybe???