On Pointe (2020–…): Season 1, Episode 4 - Sacrifice & Support - full transcript
Opening night approaches for the young dancers. The older students face new challenges.
-(VEHICLE HORN HONKING)
-(AMBIENT MUSIC PLAYING)
(CREAKS)
-(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
-(LAUGHS)
DOMINIKA: The middle of the week
in the middle of the year
is always really challenging.
We are very sore, all of us.
SAM: The dance training here
is a lot more intense
than it was back at my old studio.
What I've been doing a lot is Pilates
just to, like, keep in shape
and keep on strengthening.
TAELA:
It was a little bit of an adjustment
from the beginning
of the year to, like, this point.
Physically, dancing every single day
for three hours
was definitely a challenge.
SAB instilled
a bigger sense of responsibility in me.
to, like, actually, take care of myself.
There's so many different things
that they have to be dealing with.
There's a lot at stake
if they want to make this a profession.
So, think about that, girls.
I need a little bit more of the head here.
I'm pulled up, I'm pulled up
and I'm ready to go.
TAELA:
Mentally it was also a big adjustment,
just, like, getting yourself
in the right headspace
before every class.
But I feel like I've gotten
into the groove now.
I'm juggling dance, school, and, like,
mental health at the same time.
(CHUCKLES)
KAY:
Yeah, better, better, better, better...
(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)
Isa, do you want to have a rematch?
'Cause I've won all of our games so far.
ISA: You're correct.
Good gig you have, Ruby,
getting paid to play Mancala.
-(DOMINIKA LAUGHING)
-(BEADS RATTLING)
ISA: This game does have a tendency
to make me kind of meditate a little bit.
DOMINIKA: I need to start meditating.
Every time I talk to my mom, she's like,
"You know what would fix that problem?
-"Meditating."
-ISA: Have you ever tried?
Yes. I just... I always need to be moving.
That's why my mom put me in dance
when I was younger,
because I was just moving around too much.
ISA: Do you find that
when you're in ballet, though,
that feels like meditation?
Yes, that's what I try to say to my mom,
but mediation is, like,
when your mind is clear
and you feel thoughts come and go.
But when I'm in ballet, you're constantly
going through your mental checklist.
Do you go through a mental checklist
every time, though?
Or does it become second nature
and so you don't even
have to think about it?
Certain things become second nature,
but there's always more to do.
It's like the stereotype that all dancers
are, like, never happy with themselves,
but it's not that they're never happy,
it's that your checklist just changes.
It's like one thing becomes second nature,
so then you add another thing to the list,
and then sometimes you lose something
that you took off your checklist
a while ago.
-ISA: What's on your checklist right now?
-(CLEARS THROAT)
Uh, so many things. (CHUCKLES)
STERLING: One, two, close, three, four.
Nice breathing, balancé...
RUBY: To have that discipline
to come to come to class every day,
to be able to go to school,
to be able to take care of your injuries,
to be able to know when to stop.
Last year I was injured a lot
and I learned how to take care of myself.
You ice, you give yourself alone time.
But also, learning how to manage
my mental capacity,
knowing when I need to go to sleep,
knowing when I need to say,
"Sorry, I can't hang out."
And it really comes down to who can
make the most of what they're given
and stay sane and stay determined
and somehow still keep your passion
and love for it.
(BEEPS)
-(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
-DENA: Some of you can sit in the front.
Or on that side is also good.
We basically started October one
and now it's November,
so we're starting to get with the company.
SILAS:
It's so wonderful to work with the kids
because they have such a fresh devotion
and such a fresh energy
every year for Nutcracker.
They look forward to it
and their energy keeps all of us
adult members of the cast invested in it
because it's so special for them.
And we all remember being little children
whether it was dancing in Nutcracker
here at New York City Ballet,
or whether we were dancing
in the companies or schools
that we grew up in all around the country.
DENA: Okay, we are going to start
with the green cast.
DENA: It's the first time
that I'm putting anyone together.
-And...
-(BALLET MUSIC PLAYING)
DENA: So you teach the corps separately
and then the soloists separately
and the principals separately.
Everything feels so different
once the company is there.
Chloe, play your music.
You can look at Prince and Marie,
they're really here now.
DENA: The excitement that the kids have
tends to interfere with their memory
of the steps. (CHUCKLES)
I'm so sorry.
Girls, I know it's, like, overwhelming,
but you're not moving.
You're supposed to be playing music, okay?
OLIVIA: I love dancing
with the company, it's so fun.
It makes you kind of feel
like you're a part of the company.
ZOE: Yeah, a lot of my friends
are now apprentices too,
they got their apprenticeships
last year...
so I know a few people in the company,
which has been really nice.
For Nutcracker,
I will be performing The Hot Chocolate.
I'm excited to just start this journey,
dancing with New York City Ballet,
it's just the most amazing dream.
Yeah, it's very fun to dance with them.
The first company rehearsal
is very chaotic.
And it throws you off a bit.
DENA: Move back, Polis.
Now front.
Sauté.
-Hold on, hold on.
-MEGAN: I was a little early.
DENA: It doesn't matter.
Sometimes the Sugar Plum is close to them
and they have to watch out.
DENA: We have basically
two more weeks of rehearsals,
so there's still a lot of work to do.
DENA:
Girls, you're actually kind of scaring me
because I feel like
if I don't tell you to go,
you're not going on your own.
Ella, when you do your kneel,
just a tiny little step.
Ready? (SHUSHES) And...
(BALLET MUSIC PLAYING)
ELLA: Ms. Abergel, like, with Nutcracker,
we see a different side
of how she works, I feel like,
just because it's not class,
like, where you can make more mistakes.
DENA: Don't bring your arms down there.
Now, right on the music.
ELLA: Then I mean you can also make
mistakes in rehearsals,
but on stage, it's like,
you really gotta, like, nail it.
I mean, it is really hard.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
ELLA: I do ballet,
and then I do basketball,
soccer, and softball,
and then I also do horseback riding.
So these are some of the ribbons
I've won over the years.
This one's probably my most proud one.
Oh, it's stuck.
Um, of all the divisions,
I've won 4th overall,
and that was really cool.
It was really fun to see that.
Our schedules right now feel like
it revolves around Ella's activities
and what she's doing, but, you know,
this is a once in a lifetime opportunity,
so we certainly feel okay with that.
JANIE: I think a lot of it
is just sort of managing time.
-ELLA: It's so muddy.
-JANIE: Yeah, be careful.
JANIE: We don't want Ella to be stressed
because she still has a full day
of school, you know, we have a commute.
We're there just helping support her
with the things
that you can't do when you're 11,
by yourself.
ELLA: I have a little pony named Tucker.
He's sometimes a little lazy (CHUCKLES)
but he's really sweet.
I've been riding five years.
JANIE: Come on.
He's like, "What is going on?"
-Come on, Tucker.
-TRAINER: Quicker trot.
ELLA: I don't do competitions
as much anymore
because I do more dancing.
TRAINER: Hold that outside rein again.
ELLA: I've had to miss
a few classes but... for rehearsal.
But my trainer knows about Nutcracker
and she's very supportive of it,
so she understands why I can't come.
And sit and walk.
JANIE: When you take the time as a child
to really pursue something
that you're passionate about
and it brings you joy, you know,
I see Ella light up when she dances
and I see the joy that it brings to her
and, I mean, I think
that's an immense benefit.
JANIE:
You did good. That was a good lesson.
ELLA: Thank you.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
LUIS: (IN SPANISH)
ISABELA: Mm-hmm.
LUIS:
ISABELA:
-LUIS:
-ISABELA: Mm-hmm.
ANGELICA:
-ISABELA: Mm-hmm.
-LUIS:
(IN ENGLISH)
-LUIS: (IN ENGLISH) Ninety-five.
-Yeah.
LUIS: (IN SPANISH)
-ANGELICA:
-LUIS:
LUIS:
-(LAUGHS)
-(ANGELICA LAUGHING)
ANGELICA: (LAUGHING)
-(LAUGHING)
-LUIS:
LUIS:
(ANGELICA CHUCKLES)
ANGELICA:
ANGELICA:
LUIS:
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
DENA: (IN ENGLISH)
Okay, guys, guys,
it's so exciting! Today's the day!
(GIRLS SCREAMING)
It's gonna be awesome!
DENA: What's happening today?
GIRLS: Sugarplum Fairy!
I can't wait.
DENA: Guys, this is going to be your first
Sugarplum. This is Megan Fairchild.
-Hello. Nice to meet you.
-GIRL: Nice to meet you.
-(GIRLS LAUGHING)
-MEGAN: Nice to meet you.
DENA: Here's Ms. Hyltin,
she's also the Sugarplum.
Are you excited to meet
all the Sugarplums?
GIRLS: Yeah!
-DENA: This is Lauren Lovette.
-Wait, let's just hug.
-Hi!
-(ALL CHUCKLE)
-LAUREN: So you're the Angels?
-GIRLS: Yeah.
DENA:
So, these girls have been so excited.
"When are we gonna meet the Sugarplum?
When are we gonna meet the Sugarplum?"
-(GIRLS LAUGHING)
-DENA: So, you're gonna meet so many!
-No and she said there was 15!
-At least! Twenty, 30...
-I said there were so many.
-DENA: There's so many.
Because you have all the principals
that do it,
and then you also have the soloists, too.
What do you need to remember?
While she's doing her variation. Yeah?
-To look at her.
-LAUREN: That would be nice
'cause we're very tired
when we're out there,
and we look to you for strength.
One time, I fell on my face
right in the middle of my variation.
-(GIRLS EXCLAIM)
-LAUREN: So you also have to be ready
that we might fall down.
-DENA: No! That's not going to happen.
-And if we do, you can't react.
-You can't move, you have to stay there.
-(GIRLS LAUGHING)
And keep smiling and pretend
like nothing happened.
Okay, girls,
let's get started with our dancing.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
DENA: It's really different working
with the Angels
because they're so young,
and they have this dream
of being on the stage
with the Sugarplum Fairy.
Most of them have no idea
what they're in for,
they've only seen it in the audience,
and it's a lot to memorize.
DENA: Go Emma, Emma, Emma, go, go, go.
Sorry. I'm sorry, Megan.
Girls, I know she's beautiful
and it's really hard to focus
once she's on the stage
for the first time.
Don't forget to go through diagonal, okay?
Um, can we just go on where she comes on?
Chin up, Isabela. Chin up.
(BALLET MUSIC PLAYING)
DENA: That's why it's so important.
She gets really close to you.
Okay? So always make sure
you go behind those Xs.
(SIRENS WAILING)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
KAY: You're teaching young people.
They are so eager
that you have to be very careful.
You know, I have often said,
"I think if we told them to stand
on their head for ten hours,
"that it would help their dancing.
They would do it."
ANTHONY: Before you even start, though,
can you get up and over?
Even more, up, up, up, chest up.
ELIAS: It's my dream to be a dancer,
and I don't want to ever
not put a 100 percent.
Staying always engaged
and keeping yourself mentally healthy
and physically healthy
is probably the most challenging.
So who can relate
to any of these scenarios?
Wake up late, miss breakfast?
You're running late,
you grab a bar for lunch?
-(CROWD LAUGHING)
-HEIDI: You skip afternoon snack
because you kind of want
to wait for dinner?
-BOY: What's "afternoon snack"?
-(ALL LAUGHING)
GIRL 1: It's like Lord of the Rings,
afternoon tea...
Would you consider yourselves athletes?
-GIRL 2: Yeah.
-You have to fuel like an athlete.
There are a lot of dancers
who still aren't providing their body
the fuel that they need
to match their output.
There's a lot of pressure on females
in the dance world
to be lighter so they can be lifted
and just 'cause it's
aesthetically pleasing,
but it's really not healthy
because women have to do
so much in ballet,
and they really do need muscles and fuel
just as much as men do.
(APPLAUDING)
So, low energy availability,
you're not taking in what you need,
And it begins to shut down
certain systems in your body.
and you're getting things like
stress fractures and poor bone health.
Five and six, seven and a...
ALLEN: There is no guarantees, ever.
You never know what's going to happen
from year to year
and that can include injuries.
And then we're gonna go...
ALLEN: When I came here, my goal
was to be in New York City Ballet,
and I was willing to do anything
it would take to get there.
And if an injury came,
was it an injury
that I could dance through,
or was it something I had to sit for?
They also have to do schooling,
because if there's an injury
where they can't dance,
they have to have a fallback.
We don't want them to slip,
and for some reason,
then that safety net is gone.
For the past few weeks,
I haven't been doing any dance at all.
My foot got injured dancing in class,
the very beginning of October.
ADAM: This foot...
SAM:
Anything really fast or abrupt would hurt.
It seemed like
I was going to come back pretty fast,
and then as I was coming back
to taking full class,
I fractured my foot and sprained it twice
from overworking it.
ADAM: Toes!
SAM: You're required
to watch all of the classes
even though you can't actually dance.
That kind of takes a toll on you,
watching everyone else
in your class keep improving,
and you're feeling like you're falling
like further and further behind.
Thank you, boys. Very nice.
-(ALL APPLAUDING)
-ADAM: Good work.
Prepare your auditions if you have them.
SAM: That adds a lot of stress,
to think about what comes
after recovery from the injury,
so at this point, I'm just trying to think
about, like, actually recovering from it.
My friends have been really supportive,
of trying to just keep my spirits up.
In my room, I have weights,
a foam roller, and TheraBands
to stay in shape
for when I come back to dancing.
I definitely hope to be
at 100 percent back.
TRAINER: ...so, it's quicker here, okay?
And squeeze.
SOPHIE: When I'm in ballet
my sister does gymnastics.
TRAINER: Tall, right there,
right there, right there.
Good girl, all right.
SOPHIE: Whenever I can, I watch her
at her competitions.
Which is fun and stressful.
My name is Thalia...
-TRAINER: Tall up!
-...I am Sophia's sister.
Thalia is a level six gymnast.
It is a standing Saturday commitment.
Every Saturday, 12:30-ish till 4:00.
-TRAINER 1: Awesome.
-THALIA: I want to go to the Olympics.
I just really love flipping upside down
because it just makes me really happy.
TRAINER 1: Down, go. Wow, nice.
You can't flip upside down in ballet.
(CHUCKLES)
I'm really proud of Sophia.
Yeah, I'm gonna come see The Nutcracker.
STEVE:
Sophia has rehearsal, two few weeks more.
Right after Thanksgiving
will be the first show...
SOPHIA: Things have been good.
In rehearsals,
we've learned most of the choreography,
we just have a few things left to learn.
STEVE: Every minute counts.
-Ready, go.
-(RAIN PATTERING)
DENA: Good, Sophia.
Good.
The Prince starts off
as Drosselmeier's nephew
in the party scene,
and then he meets Marie.
I'm not sure if the Prince
and the nephew are the same,
but the nephew definitely turns
into the Nutcracker,
-which turns into the Prince.
-So reach to him...
Once he turns into the Prince,
it's like a whole fairytale-ish.
(CHUCKLES)
-But if I wasn't there, you would fall.
-KAI: Mm-hmm.
BRANDON: We've been preparing not only
with the actual steps,
but thinking about
who we are as a character.
-DENA: Good, Brandon. And go, girls!
-BRANDON: Fritz doesn't know when to stop.
And he kind of thinks everything's funny,
even mean things.
DENA: Good, Angelica.
BRANDON: But he's excited as well,
and he's kind of someone
who can't really control his emotions
very well just yet.
Was that good timing
-when I tap the grandfather?
-Yeah. I think it was.
It's more exhilarating than it is...
um, than it is tiring.
SCOTT:
Remember where Bloch is, exactly?
SABRINA:
It's across the street from the Fordham.
Do you happen to know what color
the shoes are gonna be this year?
-I guess it's the same.
-Black again.
-I think, does Fritz also have black?
-Yup.
I think it's all the same
except for Prince...
-Prince, he has different colors.
-...and Marie.
I think that we cross the block
over there.
-We cross the block to Bloch.
-Block to Bloch.
SABRINA:
Yeah, hi, he's here for his shoe fitting.
-And what is your name, please?
-I am Fritz.
Fritz, perfect.
Feel free to have a walk around.
SABRINA:
Do a little thing that you have to do.
Feels like the taddest bit...
like a bit of, like, slack in the...
(SABRINA LAUGHING)
-Charlie Chaplin.
-Do the Charlie Chaplin thing.
This will be the three and a half.
-These are all average widths. Yes.
-SABRINA: Oh, okay, thank you.
BRANDON: There's a level of maturity
that you need to have
and, like, responsibility.
This seems much better.
-The smaller ones are better?
-Yeah.
BRANDON: This is a serious thing
that we're doing.
You do want an exact feeling,
which is great.
I think that these should be it.
BRANDON: But with responsibility,
there's always something fun
that comes out of it.
And, like, I work hard,
and it just gets more fun over time.
SCOTT: Wow, you really can't have
your feet growin'.
-(CHUCKLES)
-No, he can't.
We'd have to come back for another pair.
-Yeah.
-I'm sure people have.
-I'm sure people have.
-Yeah.
-OLIVIA: Can we eat or play or...
-DAWN: No, you're gonna eat lunch.
We'll just split one.
No, that... Split a bigger one.
DAWN: As a parent, it's definitely a lot,
I mean, especially in these last two weeks
running up to the start of the show.
It's going to be insane and intense,
but at the same time,
it makes our family's season.
It's Thanksgiving, it's Christmas,
it's that feeling of excitement,
you're getting ready for something.
Opening night, I will certainly be there.
Probably not in a front row seat,
but I will be there.
And the parents are great
about swapping tickets
and someone in second act
will help out someone
that just wants to see first act.
So it works out really nicely.
DENA: I know you're so excited
to be under the skirt.
When you're under there,
be really, super focused...
on staying together and close as a unit,
so that the skirt doesn't wobble and fall
and that you guys are safe.
This rehearsal is just Mother Ginger
and the eight of us.
Mother Ginger is a male principal dancer.
(CHUCKLES)
I didn't know that when I was little.
They are on stilts,
and have this, like,
85-pound skirt on them.
DENA: Stay in the same order,
and then you'll get under the skirt.
It's just really small under the skirt,
so we got to all,
-kind of hug each other. (CHUCKLES)
-(CHUCKLES)
DENA: I'm just gonna open
and see what's going on under there.
OLIVIA:
So basically, because he's on stilts,
people that are kind of close
to Mother Ginger,
you'll get stepped on and it really hurts.
ELLA:
I'm lucky because there's eight of us
and then Mother Ginger's
smack in the middle of it.
There's two people here
and two people here.
I'm on this side,
so I don't get stepped on.
DENA: Five, six, seven, eight,
one, two, three...
ELLA: But the people who are on the side
next to Mother Ginger
have a better chance
of getting stepped on.
DENA: You got it, let's stop.
Doing it the first time with the skirt
was, like, really scary
because it's pitch black
and, like, we've never done this before.
DENA: Keep counting.
DENA:
Every year we struggle with that skirt.
It's a really delicate balance
between staying away from the stilts
and not moving the skirt.
Because when Mother Ginger comes out,
you don't want to know
what's under that skirt.
It's supposed to be a surprise.
DENA: Make sure you watch for Sophie,
in line with her.
You're early girls, one.
ELLA: Sometimes people get upset
'cause they don't know what's happening,
but it's also really hard
for the principal
'cause they can't see below their feet.
(DENA SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
ELLA:
And then they can't know what's going on,
and so they have to balance
this big skirt with eight kids underneath.
Yikes. Whoa.
Okay, what was happening
at the end there?
-GIRL: I got stuck.
-You got stuck, what does that mean?
DENA: Close to you, I know.
DENA: I know.
This is the eternal problem
with this dance.
-Okay.
-This nutcracker is mine.
JULIE: Let me warm the milk up.
They're serious about their hot cocoa.
GABBIE: Can I eat the big one?
JULIE: Don't eat them all
because they're gonna go
-in the hot cocoa, okay?
-MICHAEL: Oh, wow!
JOE: Even though
it's a tremendous commitment,
I support it because Gabbie
genuinely enjoys it so much.
-That means the world to me.
-GABBIE: Okay. We'll mix it.
JULIE: You gotta stir it, guys.
JOE: She figures out how to manage
her time and get her schoolwork done.
MICHAEL: I need more.
-No, you don't need more. (CHUCKLES)
-Yes, I need!
JULIE: She does sacrifice to do this.
But that's the arrangement.
She wants ballet
more than she wants anything else.
So instead of seeing her friends
all the time, from school,
she'll... she goes to ballet
and then she'll see them less.
But she loves it, so...
And every year, we ask,
"Are you ready?"
'Cause every year, the commitment extends.
-JULIE: Is it good?
-GABBIE: Yeah, delicious.
(BURPS, EXHALES)
She's gotten so much out of it already.
She's learned discipline,
she has learned things
that most adults have trouble with,
which is making hard choices.
GABBIE: Today we have
an amazing Hoop to dance with,
Daniel Ulbricht, he's, like, awesome.
When you think of Hoops,
we see Daniel Ulbricht.
DANIEL: I've danced in the role
of Candy Cane for close to 20 years now.
For me, I think, there's a nice
little camaraderie that happens.
I've even taught some of these students.
So to be able to share the stage
as a teacher to a student
is one of the most rare
but spectacular experiences.
DENA: Green cast Hoops,
go to the corner with Daniel.
GABBIE: Is this actually real?
Am I actually dancing next to this person?
(SHUSHES)
(BALLET MUSIC PLAYING)
GABBIE: You think, "Wow these people have
spent their whole lives dancing."
DENA: Heel up, Addison.
GABBIE:
That's what I want to be when I grow up.
It drives you to want to impress them.
DENA: Ines, back up a little,
too close to Megan.
GABBIE: There's a lot of dancers who play
the main Hoop.
DENA: This way.
That's it.
GABBIE:
All different dancers move differently.
DENA: Watch for the hoop, girls.
GABBIE: You have to adjust.
DENA: Up, down.
-Watch him, watch him.
-(CROWD APPLAUDING)
DENA: When he stands, you stand.
And go off.
Don't throw yourself to the right, so...
Forward here and plié, knee back.
Plié, knee back.
That's good, that was good.
DOMINIKA:
It is very challenging on your body,
and the classes have been so difficult
and challenging,
but so eye-opening at the same time.
SUKI:
Seven. One, two, three, four, five...
DOMINIKA:
One day you'll be on your leg for turns,
one day you can jump better.
So, now it's just more about
finding a balance
and trying to be consistent
as much as you can.
SUKI:
And this one. One, two, three...
Of course, at times, it gets stressful.
SUKI: One, two, three.
(CLAPPING) So, you...
On that you have to go, one...
Get your leg out, one, two, down.
So many people are going through
the same thing,
so you can all talk about it. (CHUCKLES)
"I'm so sad and so nervous
about..." or whatever.
We all go through this together,
so it's really not that bad.
Four on this foot. That's nice, Kye.
Like that.
DOMINIKA: Hi, Kye. Wait,
are those the shoes from today?
KYE: Mm-hmm.
DOMINIKA: I have many great friends.
We get really close during the year,
so many things bring us together,
and it's really great.
I was, like, stressed out.
I sewed my pointe shoes before class
-but I didn't have enough time...
-DOMINIKA: Uh-huh.
...so I just safety pinned the ribbons.
In class, the safety pin came out,
but, like,
it was still wrapped around my ankle,
so I was like...
-(EXCLAIMS) ...like, what?
-(DOMINIKA LAUGHING)
No!
I used to only have two pairs of ribbon
and elastic,
so I can only have two pairs of shoes
sewn at a time.
That was really stressful.
But now I literally have...
Look, look at how many
I have sewn already over there.
-Are those all new?
-DOMINIKA: No, I've worn them.
-KYE: You got options.
-(DOMINIKA LAUGHING)
TAELA: Hi! Yeah.
-GIRL: Are you sewing your shoes?
-Yeah.
-Those are so tiny.
-I know!
Those are my small...
I cut them too short.
-(ALL LAUGH)
-They're, like, squeezing off
my blood circulation, but it's fine.
TAELA: I love living in the dorms.
It's like having a sleepover
every single day.
-TAELA: Those are dead.
-Nine? Oh, wait, seven.
-TAELA: Nine? I was like...
-(ALL LAUGHING)
GIRL: I was like... what?
TAELA: My mom had to make
a lot of sacrifices for me to be here.
I feel like it's been hard for her
to let me go and for me to let her go.
But our class is... we're very tight
and, like, we're very supportive
of one another.
And I'm just happy that I've had
the opportunity to live here.
-TAELA: Bye!
-Let us know when you're out of rehearsal.
-TAELA: All right.
-Okay, let us know.
TAELA: I should be doing school.
This is where all Nutcracker is stored...
for a year.
This is the time it all comes out.
-Hi, ladies.
-Hi.
-How are you all?
-Good.
NORMA:
I guess you're all excited, right?
-Yes.
-Yes.
NORMA: All right.
How are rehearsals going, ladies?
-GIRL: Good.
-NORMA: Good?
-GIRL: Yeah.
-NORMA: All right, turn around.
ASSISTANT: This is a stiff dress,
so you have to kind of climb in.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
ASSISTANT:
We're gonna put this on the tight one?
-Yeah.
-ASSISTANT: Is that comfortable here?
-Yeah, that's good.
-ASSISTANT: Yeah? Okay.
-It's still kind of tight, but...
-GIRL 1: It's supposed to be tight.
-You put them on like pajama pants.
-Okay.
MARLENE: They're called pantaloons.
GIRL 2:
I've never wore them before. (CHUCKLING)
Yeah, most people
don't wear pantaloons anymore.
NORMA: Yours is a new dress,
so maybe we can shorten it a little bit.
-GIRL 3: Wait, that's new?
-And then I'm gonna make yours longer.
-Wait, what? You can do that?
-Yeah.
GIRL 4: This one is a muffin.
GIRL 5:
So, muffins that go like this, and...
-GIRL 4: Is this a muffin?
-GIRL 5: Oh, yeah, that's a muffin.
-GIRL 4: Thank you.
-(NORMA CHUCKLING)
MARLENE: Luckily, no one cried.
NORMA: No, they were all very happy
with their color.
'Cause everyone wants to be pink or blue.
NORMA: Twenty-three years
doing Nutcracker.
Just to see them get on stage and do it...
and I've worked on those costumes...
it's lovely.
(SEWING MACHINE WHIRRING)
JOHN: Hey, Kai, how are you? Come on in.
My name is John Radwick, and I'm the head
of the men's wardrobe department.
These are the Princes.
Each Prince has three costumes.
They first come into the party
as Drosselmeier's nephew.
We obviously didn't get to that yet.
(LAUGHING)
Here we go.
Are you excited?
-KAI: Mm-hmm.
-JOHN: You, like, ready to finally do it?
-KAI: Mm-hmm.
-JOHN: Yeah, I'm sure,
you've been rehearsing so much.
Good, one down.
This is what he wears
in the land of the sweets,
and this is the beginning
of your quick change.
You put this all on,
and then we put the Nutcracker over that.
So these are rigged, actually,
for a quick change.
Can you lift your knee for your marches?
-And you're okay here?
-KAI: Mm-hmm.
And to fight?
-Yeah.
-JOHN: There's a little
adjustable framework in the side,
by turning this screw,
that shortens the circumference.
(KAI CHUCKLES)
Yeah, it's a little tricky
until you do it a few times.
There we go.
So, how does that feel, young man?
-KAI: It's pretty good.
-There's your mirror, take a look.
KAI: Oh, wow! (CHUCKLING)
And of course we'll give your hair
a blowout before to make it pretty.
-It's come out of the box.
-KAI: Mm-hmm. Yeah.
JOHN: So what happens is
there'll be three guys helping you.
-One of them will unzip both your legs.
-KAI: Mm-hmm.
This all happens very quickly.
And then what he'll do
is he'll lift you up
-from behind like this.
-KAI: Mm-hmm.
And the two guys here
will grab the bottom of your pants
and they'll pull them off
very quickly down here.
KAI: Like, its own choreography too.
It is choreography, exactly.
So this happens
in the quick change as well.
-And it's a little intense.
-KAI: Yeah, 'cause I...
-I can't see anything.
-JOHN: Yeah, you're not gonna be able
to see, so it's gonna be scary.
The Nutcracker costume,
when they pull it off,
it looks really uncomfortable.
JOHN:
I know it's a lot, and a million of boys
have done it before you, so I'm sure
-you can do it as well, Kai.
-(CHUCKLES) Thank you!
I would put on my head later
because you don't want to keep
your head on for the whole time.
-I mean, keep your head on, not...
-(DENA LAUGHING)
-DENA: The Nutcracker head.
-Yeah.
Anything you want to tell them about
having that mask on,
-like what can you see?
-You can see peripherally, but like...
-DENA: Only partial.
-TENZIN: Only a little bit.
You can't rely on other people on stage,
you have to rely on your own counts.
Be big. That's the main thing. Just...
take up space because you're the main part
of the show.
So even if you mess up everything
in the pantomime,
if you have the attention of everyone
in the audience,
people will enjoy you.
Kai does feel stressed in different areas
of his life.
But it's always amazed me
that when he's been on stage, he seems...
I don't want to say necessarily relaxed,
but, I mean...
-I try to imagine myself at 11 on a stage.
-DENA: Look in the mirror.
CHRIS: He certainly gets nervous,
but he's not terrified
the way I imagine myself being
if I were in that situation.
KAVITA: That's true. In fact,
-somebody at work asked me...
-CHRIS: Mm-hmm.
..."Is he, like, freaking out
because this is such a big deal?"
KAI: Ooh, I'm so tired.
The Battle Scene, still,
I get tense, I feel...
-I feel like I'm messing up on the counts.
-Yeah, the counts are really hard.
I think there's a certain trust
in the instructors
and in the ballet masters,
and I think, you know,
you have to have faith...
which I think is, you know, what he does.
He believes...
-They prepare them so well.
-...that they're going to prepare him
and... and the entire cast.
After the three, four, five, five, six.
-Six.
-One, two, three, four.
-One, two, three, four.
So, is it like, five, five, six
or is it like...
-Just five, six, just keep counting...
-Okay.
Thank you,
'cause I would've messed up on that.
KAI: I'm sure I'll be able to do it,
since a lot of people
have done it before me.
(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)
(THEME MUSIC ENDING)
-(AMBIENT MUSIC PLAYING)
(CREAKS)
-(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
-(LAUGHS)
DOMINIKA: The middle of the week
in the middle of the year
is always really challenging.
We are very sore, all of us.
SAM: The dance training here
is a lot more intense
than it was back at my old studio.
What I've been doing a lot is Pilates
just to, like, keep in shape
and keep on strengthening.
TAELA:
It was a little bit of an adjustment
from the beginning
of the year to, like, this point.
Physically, dancing every single day
for three hours
was definitely a challenge.
SAB instilled
a bigger sense of responsibility in me.
to, like, actually, take care of myself.
There's so many different things
that they have to be dealing with.
There's a lot at stake
if they want to make this a profession.
So, think about that, girls.
I need a little bit more of the head here.
I'm pulled up, I'm pulled up
and I'm ready to go.
TAELA:
Mentally it was also a big adjustment,
just, like, getting yourself
in the right headspace
before every class.
But I feel like I've gotten
into the groove now.
I'm juggling dance, school, and, like,
mental health at the same time.
(CHUCKLES)
KAY:
Yeah, better, better, better, better...
(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)
Isa, do you want to have a rematch?
'Cause I've won all of our games so far.
ISA: You're correct.
Good gig you have, Ruby,
getting paid to play Mancala.
-(DOMINIKA LAUGHING)
-(BEADS RATTLING)
ISA: This game does have a tendency
to make me kind of meditate a little bit.
DOMINIKA: I need to start meditating.
Every time I talk to my mom, she's like,
"You know what would fix that problem?
-"Meditating."
-ISA: Have you ever tried?
Yes. I just... I always need to be moving.
That's why my mom put me in dance
when I was younger,
because I was just moving around too much.
ISA: Do you find that
when you're in ballet, though,
that feels like meditation?
Yes, that's what I try to say to my mom,
but mediation is, like,
when your mind is clear
and you feel thoughts come and go.
But when I'm in ballet, you're constantly
going through your mental checklist.
Do you go through a mental checklist
every time, though?
Or does it become second nature
and so you don't even
have to think about it?
Certain things become second nature,
but there's always more to do.
It's like the stereotype that all dancers
are, like, never happy with themselves,
but it's not that they're never happy,
it's that your checklist just changes.
It's like one thing becomes second nature,
so then you add another thing to the list,
and then sometimes you lose something
that you took off your checklist
a while ago.
-ISA: What's on your checklist right now?
-(CLEARS THROAT)
Uh, so many things. (CHUCKLES)
STERLING: One, two, close, three, four.
Nice breathing, balancé...
RUBY: To have that discipline
to come to come to class every day,
to be able to go to school,
to be able to take care of your injuries,
to be able to know when to stop.
Last year I was injured a lot
and I learned how to take care of myself.
You ice, you give yourself alone time.
But also, learning how to manage
my mental capacity,
knowing when I need to go to sleep,
knowing when I need to say,
"Sorry, I can't hang out."
And it really comes down to who can
make the most of what they're given
and stay sane and stay determined
and somehow still keep your passion
and love for it.
(BEEPS)
-(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
-DENA: Some of you can sit in the front.
Or on that side is also good.
We basically started October one
and now it's November,
so we're starting to get with the company.
SILAS:
It's so wonderful to work with the kids
because they have such a fresh devotion
and such a fresh energy
every year for Nutcracker.
They look forward to it
and their energy keeps all of us
adult members of the cast invested in it
because it's so special for them.
And we all remember being little children
whether it was dancing in Nutcracker
here at New York City Ballet,
or whether we were dancing
in the companies or schools
that we grew up in all around the country.
DENA: Okay, we are going to start
with the green cast.
DENA: It's the first time
that I'm putting anyone together.
-And...
-(BALLET MUSIC PLAYING)
DENA: So you teach the corps separately
and then the soloists separately
and the principals separately.
Everything feels so different
once the company is there.
Chloe, play your music.
You can look at Prince and Marie,
they're really here now.
DENA: The excitement that the kids have
tends to interfere with their memory
of the steps. (CHUCKLES)
I'm so sorry.
Girls, I know it's, like, overwhelming,
but you're not moving.
You're supposed to be playing music, okay?
OLIVIA: I love dancing
with the company, it's so fun.
It makes you kind of feel
like you're a part of the company.
ZOE: Yeah, a lot of my friends
are now apprentices too,
they got their apprenticeships
last year...
so I know a few people in the company,
which has been really nice.
For Nutcracker,
I will be performing The Hot Chocolate.
I'm excited to just start this journey,
dancing with New York City Ballet,
it's just the most amazing dream.
Yeah, it's very fun to dance with them.
The first company rehearsal
is very chaotic.
And it throws you off a bit.
DENA: Move back, Polis.
Now front.
Sauté.
-Hold on, hold on.
-MEGAN: I was a little early.
DENA: It doesn't matter.
Sometimes the Sugar Plum is close to them
and they have to watch out.
DENA: We have basically
two more weeks of rehearsals,
so there's still a lot of work to do.
DENA:
Girls, you're actually kind of scaring me
because I feel like
if I don't tell you to go,
you're not going on your own.
Ella, when you do your kneel,
just a tiny little step.
Ready? (SHUSHES) And...
(BALLET MUSIC PLAYING)
ELLA: Ms. Abergel, like, with Nutcracker,
we see a different side
of how she works, I feel like,
just because it's not class,
like, where you can make more mistakes.
DENA: Don't bring your arms down there.
Now, right on the music.
ELLA: Then I mean you can also make
mistakes in rehearsals,
but on stage, it's like,
you really gotta, like, nail it.
I mean, it is really hard.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
ELLA: I do ballet,
and then I do basketball,
soccer, and softball,
and then I also do horseback riding.
So these are some of the ribbons
I've won over the years.
This one's probably my most proud one.
Oh, it's stuck.
Um, of all the divisions,
I've won 4th overall,
and that was really cool.
It was really fun to see that.
Our schedules right now feel like
it revolves around Ella's activities
and what she's doing, but, you know,
this is a once in a lifetime opportunity,
so we certainly feel okay with that.
JANIE: I think a lot of it
is just sort of managing time.
-ELLA: It's so muddy.
-JANIE: Yeah, be careful.
JANIE: We don't want Ella to be stressed
because she still has a full day
of school, you know, we have a commute.
We're there just helping support her
with the things
that you can't do when you're 11,
by yourself.
ELLA: I have a little pony named Tucker.
He's sometimes a little lazy (CHUCKLES)
but he's really sweet.
I've been riding five years.
JANIE: Come on.
He's like, "What is going on?"
-Come on, Tucker.
-TRAINER: Quicker trot.
ELLA: I don't do competitions
as much anymore
because I do more dancing.
TRAINER: Hold that outside rein again.
ELLA: I've had to miss
a few classes but... for rehearsal.
But my trainer knows about Nutcracker
and she's very supportive of it,
so she understands why I can't come.
And sit and walk.
JANIE: When you take the time as a child
to really pursue something
that you're passionate about
and it brings you joy, you know,
I see Ella light up when she dances
and I see the joy that it brings to her
and, I mean, I think
that's an immense benefit.
JANIE:
You did good. That was a good lesson.
ELLA: Thank you.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
LUIS: (IN SPANISH)
ISABELA: Mm-hmm.
LUIS:
ISABELA:
-LUIS:
-ISABELA: Mm-hmm.
ANGELICA:
-ISABELA: Mm-hmm.
-LUIS:
(IN ENGLISH)
-LUIS: (IN ENGLISH) Ninety-five.
-Yeah.
LUIS: (IN SPANISH)
-ANGELICA:
-LUIS:
LUIS:
-(LAUGHS)
-(ANGELICA LAUGHING)
ANGELICA: (LAUGHING)
-(LAUGHING)
-LUIS:
LUIS:
(ANGELICA CHUCKLES)
ANGELICA:
ANGELICA:
LUIS:
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
DENA: (IN ENGLISH)
Okay, guys, guys,
it's so exciting! Today's the day!
(GIRLS SCREAMING)
It's gonna be awesome!
DENA: What's happening today?
GIRLS: Sugarplum Fairy!
I can't wait.
DENA: Guys, this is going to be your first
Sugarplum. This is Megan Fairchild.
-Hello. Nice to meet you.
-GIRL: Nice to meet you.
-(GIRLS LAUGHING)
-MEGAN: Nice to meet you.
DENA: Here's Ms. Hyltin,
she's also the Sugarplum.
Are you excited to meet
all the Sugarplums?
GIRLS: Yeah!
-DENA: This is Lauren Lovette.
-Wait, let's just hug.
-Hi!
-(ALL CHUCKLE)
-LAUREN: So you're the Angels?
-GIRLS: Yeah.
DENA:
So, these girls have been so excited.
"When are we gonna meet the Sugarplum?
When are we gonna meet the Sugarplum?"
-(GIRLS LAUGHING)
-DENA: So, you're gonna meet so many!
-No and she said there was 15!
-At least! Twenty, 30...
-I said there were so many.
-DENA: There's so many.
Because you have all the principals
that do it,
and then you also have the soloists, too.
What do you need to remember?
While she's doing her variation. Yeah?
-To look at her.
-LAUREN: That would be nice
'cause we're very tired
when we're out there,
and we look to you for strength.
One time, I fell on my face
right in the middle of my variation.
-(GIRLS EXCLAIM)
-LAUREN: So you also have to be ready
that we might fall down.
-DENA: No! That's not going to happen.
-And if we do, you can't react.
-You can't move, you have to stay there.
-(GIRLS LAUGHING)
And keep smiling and pretend
like nothing happened.
Okay, girls,
let's get started with our dancing.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
DENA: It's really different working
with the Angels
because they're so young,
and they have this dream
of being on the stage
with the Sugarplum Fairy.
Most of them have no idea
what they're in for,
they've only seen it in the audience,
and it's a lot to memorize.
DENA: Go Emma, Emma, Emma, go, go, go.
Sorry. I'm sorry, Megan.
Girls, I know she's beautiful
and it's really hard to focus
once she's on the stage
for the first time.
Don't forget to go through diagonal, okay?
Um, can we just go on where she comes on?
Chin up, Isabela. Chin up.
(BALLET MUSIC PLAYING)
DENA: That's why it's so important.
She gets really close to you.
Okay? So always make sure
you go behind those Xs.
(SIRENS WAILING)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
KAY: You're teaching young people.
They are so eager
that you have to be very careful.
You know, I have often said,
"I think if we told them to stand
on their head for ten hours,
"that it would help their dancing.
They would do it."
ANTHONY: Before you even start, though,
can you get up and over?
Even more, up, up, up, chest up.
ELIAS: It's my dream to be a dancer,
and I don't want to ever
not put a 100 percent.
Staying always engaged
and keeping yourself mentally healthy
and physically healthy
is probably the most challenging.
So who can relate
to any of these scenarios?
Wake up late, miss breakfast?
You're running late,
you grab a bar for lunch?
-(CROWD LAUGHING)
-HEIDI: You skip afternoon snack
because you kind of want
to wait for dinner?
-BOY: What's "afternoon snack"?
-(ALL LAUGHING)
GIRL 1: It's like Lord of the Rings,
afternoon tea...
Would you consider yourselves athletes?
-GIRL 2: Yeah.
-You have to fuel like an athlete.
There are a lot of dancers
who still aren't providing their body
the fuel that they need
to match their output.
There's a lot of pressure on females
in the dance world
to be lighter so they can be lifted
and just 'cause it's
aesthetically pleasing,
but it's really not healthy
because women have to do
so much in ballet,
and they really do need muscles and fuel
just as much as men do.
(APPLAUDING)
So, low energy availability,
you're not taking in what you need,
And it begins to shut down
certain systems in your body.
and you're getting things like
stress fractures and poor bone health.
Five and six, seven and a...
ALLEN: There is no guarantees, ever.
You never know what's going to happen
from year to year
and that can include injuries.
And then we're gonna go...
ALLEN: When I came here, my goal
was to be in New York City Ballet,
and I was willing to do anything
it would take to get there.
And if an injury came,
was it an injury
that I could dance through,
or was it something I had to sit for?
They also have to do schooling,
because if there's an injury
where they can't dance,
they have to have a fallback.
We don't want them to slip,
and for some reason,
then that safety net is gone.
For the past few weeks,
I haven't been doing any dance at all.
My foot got injured dancing in class,
the very beginning of October.
ADAM: This foot...
SAM:
Anything really fast or abrupt would hurt.
It seemed like
I was going to come back pretty fast,
and then as I was coming back
to taking full class,
I fractured my foot and sprained it twice
from overworking it.
ADAM: Toes!
SAM: You're required
to watch all of the classes
even though you can't actually dance.
That kind of takes a toll on you,
watching everyone else
in your class keep improving,
and you're feeling like you're falling
like further and further behind.
Thank you, boys. Very nice.
-(ALL APPLAUDING)
-ADAM: Good work.
Prepare your auditions if you have them.
SAM: That adds a lot of stress,
to think about what comes
after recovery from the injury,
so at this point, I'm just trying to think
about, like, actually recovering from it.
My friends have been really supportive,
of trying to just keep my spirits up.
In my room, I have weights,
a foam roller, and TheraBands
to stay in shape
for when I come back to dancing.
I definitely hope to be
at 100 percent back.
TRAINER: ...so, it's quicker here, okay?
And squeeze.
SOPHIE: When I'm in ballet
my sister does gymnastics.
TRAINER: Tall, right there,
right there, right there.
Good girl, all right.
SOPHIE: Whenever I can, I watch her
at her competitions.
Which is fun and stressful.
My name is Thalia...
-TRAINER: Tall up!
-...I am Sophia's sister.
Thalia is a level six gymnast.
It is a standing Saturday commitment.
Every Saturday, 12:30-ish till 4:00.
-TRAINER 1: Awesome.
-THALIA: I want to go to the Olympics.
I just really love flipping upside down
because it just makes me really happy.
TRAINER 1: Down, go. Wow, nice.
You can't flip upside down in ballet.
(CHUCKLES)
I'm really proud of Sophia.
Yeah, I'm gonna come see The Nutcracker.
STEVE:
Sophia has rehearsal, two few weeks more.
Right after Thanksgiving
will be the first show...
SOPHIA: Things have been good.
In rehearsals,
we've learned most of the choreography,
we just have a few things left to learn.
STEVE: Every minute counts.
-Ready, go.
-(RAIN PATTERING)
DENA: Good, Sophia.
Good.
The Prince starts off
as Drosselmeier's nephew
in the party scene,
and then he meets Marie.
I'm not sure if the Prince
and the nephew are the same,
but the nephew definitely turns
into the Nutcracker,
-which turns into the Prince.
-So reach to him...
Once he turns into the Prince,
it's like a whole fairytale-ish.
(CHUCKLES)
-But if I wasn't there, you would fall.
-KAI: Mm-hmm.
BRANDON: We've been preparing not only
with the actual steps,
but thinking about
who we are as a character.
-DENA: Good, Brandon. And go, girls!
-BRANDON: Fritz doesn't know when to stop.
And he kind of thinks everything's funny,
even mean things.
DENA: Good, Angelica.
BRANDON: But he's excited as well,
and he's kind of someone
who can't really control his emotions
very well just yet.
Was that good timing
-when I tap the grandfather?
-Yeah. I think it was.
It's more exhilarating than it is...
um, than it is tiring.
SCOTT:
Remember where Bloch is, exactly?
SABRINA:
It's across the street from the Fordham.
Do you happen to know what color
the shoes are gonna be this year?
-I guess it's the same.
-Black again.
-I think, does Fritz also have black?
-Yup.
I think it's all the same
except for Prince...
-Prince, he has different colors.
-...and Marie.
I think that we cross the block
over there.
-We cross the block to Bloch.
-Block to Bloch.
SABRINA:
Yeah, hi, he's here for his shoe fitting.
-And what is your name, please?
-I am Fritz.
Fritz, perfect.
Feel free to have a walk around.
SABRINA:
Do a little thing that you have to do.
Feels like the taddest bit...
like a bit of, like, slack in the...
(SABRINA LAUGHING)
-Charlie Chaplin.
-Do the Charlie Chaplin thing.
This will be the three and a half.
-These are all average widths. Yes.
-SABRINA: Oh, okay, thank you.
BRANDON: There's a level of maturity
that you need to have
and, like, responsibility.
This seems much better.
-The smaller ones are better?
-Yeah.
BRANDON: This is a serious thing
that we're doing.
You do want an exact feeling,
which is great.
I think that these should be it.
BRANDON: But with responsibility,
there's always something fun
that comes out of it.
And, like, I work hard,
and it just gets more fun over time.
SCOTT: Wow, you really can't have
your feet growin'.
-(CHUCKLES)
-No, he can't.
We'd have to come back for another pair.
-Yeah.
-I'm sure people have.
-I'm sure people have.
-Yeah.
-OLIVIA: Can we eat or play or...
-DAWN: No, you're gonna eat lunch.
We'll just split one.
No, that... Split a bigger one.
DAWN: As a parent, it's definitely a lot,
I mean, especially in these last two weeks
running up to the start of the show.
It's going to be insane and intense,
but at the same time,
it makes our family's season.
It's Thanksgiving, it's Christmas,
it's that feeling of excitement,
you're getting ready for something.
Opening night, I will certainly be there.
Probably not in a front row seat,
but I will be there.
And the parents are great
about swapping tickets
and someone in second act
will help out someone
that just wants to see first act.
So it works out really nicely.
DENA: I know you're so excited
to be under the skirt.
When you're under there,
be really, super focused...
on staying together and close as a unit,
so that the skirt doesn't wobble and fall
and that you guys are safe.
This rehearsal is just Mother Ginger
and the eight of us.
Mother Ginger is a male principal dancer.
(CHUCKLES)
I didn't know that when I was little.
They are on stilts,
and have this, like,
85-pound skirt on them.
DENA: Stay in the same order,
and then you'll get under the skirt.
It's just really small under the skirt,
so we got to all,
-kind of hug each other. (CHUCKLES)
-(CHUCKLES)
DENA: I'm just gonna open
and see what's going on under there.
OLIVIA:
So basically, because he's on stilts,
people that are kind of close
to Mother Ginger,
you'll get stepped on and it really hurts.
ELLA:
I'm lucky because there's eight of us
and then Mother Ginger's
smack in the middle of it.
There's two people here
and two people here.
I'm on this side,
so I don't get stepped on.
DENA: Five, six, seven, eight,
one, two, three...
ELLA: But the people who are on the side
next to Mother Ginger
have a better chance
of getting stepped on.
DENA: You got it, let's stop.
Doing it the first time with the skirt
was, like, really scary
because it's pitch black
and, like, we've never done this before.
DENA: Keep counting.
DENA:
Every year we struggle with that skirt.
It's a really delicate balance
between staying away from the stilts
and not moving the skirt.
Because when Mother Ginger comes out,
you don't want to know
what's under that skirt.
It's supposed to be a surprise.
DENA: Make sure you watch for Sophie,
in line with her.
You're early girls, one.
ELLA: Sometimes people get upset
'cause they don't know what's happening,
but it's also really hard
for the principal
'cause they can't see below their feet.
(DENA SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
ELLA:
And then they can't know what's going on,
and so they have to balance
this big skirt with eight kids underneath.
Yikes. Whoa.
Okay, what was happening
at the end there?
-GIRL: I got stuck.
-You got stuck, what does that mean?
DENA: Close to you, I know.
DENA: I know.
This is the eternal problem
with this dance.
-Okay.
-This nutcracker is mine.
JULIE: Let me warm the milk up.
They're serious about their hot cocoa.
GABBIE: Can I eat the big one?
JULIE: Don't eat them all
because they're gonna go
-in the hot cocoa, okay?
-MICHAEL: Oh, wow!
JOE: Even though
it's a tremendous commitment,
I support it because Gabbie
genuinely enjoys it so much.
-That means the world to me.
-GABBIE: Okay. We'll mix it.
JULIE: You gotta stir it, guys.
JOE: She figures out how to manage
her time and get her schoolwork done.
MICHAEL: I need more.
-No, you don't need more. (CHUCKLES)
-Yes, I need!
JULIE: She does sacrifice to do this.
But that's the arrangement.
She wants ballet
more than she wants anything else.
So instead of seeing her friends
all the time, from school,
she'll... she goes to ballet
and then she'll see them less.
But she loves it, so...
And every year, we ask,
"Are you ready?"
'Cause every year, the commitment extends.
-JULIE: Is it good?
-GABBIE: Yeah, delicious.
(BURPS, EXHALES)
She's gotten so much out of it already.
She's learned discipline,
she has learned things
that most adults have trouble with,
which is making hard choices.
GABBIE: Today we have
an amazing Hoop to dance with,
Daniel Ulbricht, he's, like, awesome.
When you think of Hoops,
we see Daniel Ulbricht.
DANIEL: I've danced in the role
of Candy Cane for close to 20 years now.
For me, I think, there's a nice
little camaraderie that happens.
I've even taught some of these students.
So to be able to share the stage
as a teacher to a student
is one of the most rare
but spectacular experiences.
DENA: Green cast Hoops,
go to the corner with Daniel.
GABBIE: Is this actually real?
Am I actually dancing next to this person?
(SHUSHES)
(BALLET MUSIC PLAYING)
GABBIE: You think, "Wow these people have
spent their whole lives dancing."
DENA: Heel up, Addison.
GABBIE:
That's what I want to be when I grow up.
It drives you to want to impress them.
DENA: Ines, back up a little,
too close to Megan.
GABBIE: There's a lot of dancers who play
the main Hoop.
DENA: This way.
That's it.
GABBIE:
All different dancers move differently.
DENA: Watch for the hoop, girls.
GABBIE: You have to adjust.
DENA: Up, down.
-Watch him, watch him.
-(CROWD APPLAUDING)
DENA: When he stands, you stand.
And go off.
Don't throw yourself to the right, so...
Forward here and plié, knee back.
Plié, knee back.
That's good, that was good.
DOMINIKA:
It is very challenging on your body,
and the classes have been so difficult
and challenging,
but so eye-opening at the same time.
SUKI:
Seven. One, two, three, four, five...
DOMINIKA:
One day you'll be on your leg for turns,
one day you can jump better.
So, now it's just more about
finding a balance
and trying to be consistent
as much as you can.
SUKI:
And this one. One, two, three...
Of course, at times, it gets stressful.
SUKI: One, two, three.
(CLAPPING) So, you...
On that you have to go, one...
Get your leg out, one, two, down.
So many people are going through
the same thing,
so you can all talk about it. (CHUCKLES)
"I'm so sad and so nervous
about..." or whatever.
We all go through this together,
so it's really not that bad.
Four on this foot. That's nice, Kye.
Like that.
DOMINIKA: Hi, Kye. Wait,
are those the shoes from today?
KYE: Mm-hmm.
DOMINIKA: I have many great friends.
We get really close during the year,
so many things bring us together,
and it's really great.
I was, like, stressed out.
I sewed my pointe shoes before class
-but I didn't have enough time...
-DOMINIKA: Uh-huh.
...so I just safety pinned the ribbons.
In class, the safety pin came out,
but, like,
it was still wrapped around my ankle,
so I was like...
-(EXCLAIMS) ...like, what?
-(DOMINIKA LAUGHING)
No!
I used to only have two pairs of ribbon
and elastic,
so I can only have two pairs of shoes
sewn at a time.
That was really stressful.
But now I literally have...
Look, look at how many
I have sewn already over there.
-Are those all new?
-DOMINIKA: No, I've worn them.
-KYE: You got options.
-(DOMINIKA LAUGHING)
TAELA: Hi! Yeah.
-GIRL: Are you sewing your shoes?
-Yeah.
-Those are so tiny.
-I know!
Those are my small...
I cut them too short.
-(ALL LAUGH)
-They're, like, squeezing off
my blood circulation, but it's fine.
TAELA: I love living in the dorms.
It's like having a sleepover
every single day.
-TAELA: Those are dead.
-Nine? Oh, wait, seven.
-TAELA: Nine? I was like...
-(ALL LAUGHING)
GIRL: I was like... what?
TAELA: My mom had to make
a lot of sacrifices for me to be here.
I feel like it's been hard for her
to let me go and for me to let her go.
But our class is... we're very tight
and, like, we're very supportive
of one another.
And I'm just happy that I've had
the opportunity to live here.
-TAELA: Bye!
-Let us know when you're out of rehearsal.
-TAELA: All right.
-Okay, let us know.
TAELA: I should be doing school.
This is where all Nutcracker is stored...
for a year.
This is the time it all comes out.
-Hi, ladies.
-Hi.
-How are you all?
-Good.
NORMA:
I guess you're all excited, right?
-Yes.
-Yes.
NORMA: All right.
How are rehearsals going, ladies?
-GIRL: Good.
-NORMA: Good?
-GIRL: Yeah.
-NORMA: All right, turn around.
ASSISTANT: This is a stiff dress,
so you have to kind of climb in.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
ASSISTANT:
We're gonna put this on the tight one?
-Yeah.
-ASSISTANT: Is that comfortable here?
-Yeah, that's good.
-ASSISTANT: Yeah? Okay.
-It's still kind of tight, but...
-GIRL 1: It's supposed to be tight.
-You put them on like pajama pants.
-Okay.
MARLENE: They're called pantaloons.
GIRL 2:
I've never wore them before. (CHUCKLING)
Yeah, most people
don't wear pantaloons anymore.
NORMA: Yours is a new dress,
so maybe we can shorten it a little bit.
-GIRL 3: Wait, that's new?
-And then I'm gonna make yours longer.
-Wait, what? You can do that?
-Yeah.
GIRL 4: This one is a muffin.
GIRL 5:
So, muffins that go like this, and...
-GIRL 4: Is this a muffin?
-GIRL 5: Oh, yeah, that's a muffin.
-GIRL 4: Thank you.
-(NORMA CHUCKLING)
MARLENE: Luckily, no one cried.
NORMA: No, they were all very happy
with their color.
'Cause everyone wants to be pink or blue.
NORMA: Twenty-three years
doing Nutcracker.
Just to see them get on stage and do it...
and I've worked on those costumes...
it's lovely.
(SEWING MACHINE WHIRRING)
JOHN: Hey, Kai, how are you? Come on in.
My name is John Radwick, and I'm the head
of the men's wardrobe department.
These are the Princes.
Each Prince has three costumes.
They first come into the party
as Drosselmeier's nephew.
We obviously didn't get to that yet.
(LAUGHING)
Here we go.
Are you excited?
-KAI: Mm-hmm.
-JOHN: You, like, ready to finally do it?
-KAI: Mm-hmm.
-JOHN: Yeah, I'm sure,
you've been rehearsing so much.
Good, one down.
This is what he wears
in the land of the sweets,
and this is the beginning
of your quick change.
You put this all on,
and then we put the Nutcracker over that.
So these are rigged, actually,
for a quick change.
Can you lift your knee for your marches?
-And you're okay here?
-KAI: Mm-hmm.
And to fight?
-Yeah.
-JOHN: There's a little
adjustable framework in the side,
by turning this screw,
that shortens the circumference.
(KAI CHUCKLES)
Yeah, it's a little tricky
until you do it a few times.
There we go.
So, how does that feel, young man?
-KAI: It's pretty good.
-There's your mirror, take a look.
KAI: Oh, wow! (CHUCKLING)
And of course we'll give your hair
a blowout before to make it pretty.
-It's come out of the box.
-KAI: Mm-hmm. Yeah.
JOHN: So what happens is
there'll be three guys helping you.
-One of them will unzip both your legs.
-KAI: Mm-hmm.
This all happens very quickly.
And then what he'll do
is he'll lift you up
-from behind like this.
-KAI: Mm-hmm.
And the two guys here
will grab the bottom of your pants
and they'll pull them off
very quickly down here.
KAI: Like, its own choreography too.
It is choreography, exactly.
So this happens
in the quick change as well.
-And it's a little intense.
-KAI: Yeah, 'cause I...
-I can't see anything.
-JOHN: Yeah, you're not gonna be able
to see, so it's gonna be scary.
The Nutcracker costume,
when they pull it off,
it looks really uncomfortable.
JOHN:
I know it's a lot, and a million of boys
have done it before you, so I'm sure
-you can do it as well, Kai.
-(CHUCKLES) Thank you!
I would put on my head later
because you don't want to keep
your head on for the whole time.
-I mean, keep your head on, not...
-(DENA LAUGHING)
-DENA: The Nutcracker head.
-Yeah.
Anything you want to tell them about
having that mask on,
-like what can you see?
-You can see peripherally, but like...
-DENA: Only partial.
-TENZIN: Only a little bit.
You can't rely on other people on stage,
you have to rely on your own counts.
Be big. That's the main thing. Just...
take up space because you're the main part
of the show.
So even if you mess up everything
in the pantomime,
if you have the attention of everyone
in the audience,
people will enjoy you.
Kai does feel stressed in different areas
of his life.
But it's always amazed me
that when he's been on stage, he seems...
I don't want to say necessarily relaxed,
but, I mean...
-I try to imagine myself at 11 on a stage.
-DENA: Look in the mirror.
CHRIS: He certainly gets nervous,
but he's not terrified
the way I imagine myself being
if I were in that situation.
KAVITA: That's true. In fact,
-somebody at work asked me...
-CHRIS: Mm-hmm.
..."Is he, like, freaking out
because this is such a big deal?"
KAI: Ooh, I'm so tired.
The Battle Scene, still,
I get tense, I feel...
-I feel like I'm messing up on the counts.
-Yeah, the counts are really hard.
I think there's a certain trust
in the instructors
and in the ballet masters,
and I think, you know,
you have to have faith...
which I think is, you know, what he does.
He believes...
-They prepare them so well.
-...that they're going to prepare him
and... and the entire cast.
After the three, four, five, five, six.
-Six.
-One, two, three, four.
-One, two, three, four.
So, is it like, five, five, six
or is it like...
-Just five, six, just keep counting...
-Okay.
Thank you,
'cause I would've messed up on that.
KAI: I'm sure I'll be able to do it,
since a lot of people
have done it before me.
(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)
(THEME MUSIC ENDING)