Indiana University Ballet put on their annual production of the timeless Tchaikovsky ballet, The Nutcracker, on Dec. 1-4. Ballerinas from Bloomington and the surrounding area perform often with the ballet company. Some BHSS students are among this group of elite young artists taking classes with IU, and  participated in IU’s Nutcracker production this year. 

Freshman Marcella Miles, who has been dancing with the IU Ballet Pre-College Program for 12 years, was one of those who performed in the show. She danced as Clara, the lead of the ballet, for two of the shows and as a Trepak girl for another. With the professional environment of the company and the skills needed for the show, it can be a lot of work. As soon as auditions took place in October, the production was in rehearsal. Miles practiced “at least four times a week, at home and in the studio,” she said. 

Sophomore Audrey Adams has also danced with the IU Ballet Pre-College Program for 12 years, was another who participated in The Nutcracker. Adams agrees with the statement of the ballet taking lots of work, especially if one is portraying a large, or complex role. During the production’s tech week, Adams stated she “left school every day at 1:45 so [she] could be there by 2:15,” when the company was holding rehearsals. After spending numerous hours at the rehearsal studio, Adams said she really had to focus on the other things that needed to be done, such as homework, to ensure that she did not fall behind.