Newport Tween Lives Nutcracker Dream

While most kids are dreaming of their perfect Christmas gift this holiday season, a local tween is excited to live her dream on stage in December.

Rachel Bryant, 12, a student at the Maple Conservatory of Dance, is getting ready to perform the role of Little Clara, at the Maple Ballet's production of The Nutcracker. This is her fourth performance in The Nutcracker, but her first as Little Clara and said “this is my dream.”

With sold-out performance since its debut in 2008, the Maple Ballet’s The Nutcracker features more than 80 classically trained dancers, and centers around Clara, a young girl who yearns to become a professional ballerina. The play will be shown at the Northwood Performing Arts Theatre from Dec. 17-22.

“There have been hundreds of re-interpretations of The Nutcracker. Our original concept – a ballet about ballet and a little girl’s passion to dance –is what sets the Maple Ballet’s The Nutcracker apart,” said Charles Maple, the play's choreographer. “For a child, there is no better introduction to the world of ballet than The Nutcracker. It’s colorful and accessible, with a child-centric story."

When she's not at the Maple Conservatory, Bryant attends The Pegasus School in Huntington Beach, and was recently honored by Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth for scoring well on advanced exams.

Northwood Performing Arts Theatre is located at 4515 Portola Parkway in Irvine.
General admission tickets range from $22-$30, and are expected to sell out. Fore more information call 1-888-71-Tickets.