A dream will come true tonight for a dancer from Malverne as she takes to the stage in a starring role in the classic ballet, The Nutcracker.
Kristen Grace Smith, a graduate of Our Lady of Lourdes School in Malverne, who is a senior at Sacred Heart Academy now, will pirouette into the spotlight in the high school's production this weekend. Smith is playing the lead role of the Sugar Plum Fairy.
"It is my great honor to be performing the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy," says Smith, president of the SHA Dance Theatre. "It has been a dream of mine ever since I danced as an angel in the show as a child."
Smith studied dance at Tap to Pointe Dance Center in Malverne for 14 years and attended the Joffrey Ballet School Summer Performance Intensive, as well as the Rockette Summer Intensive this past summer.
Another Malverne resident featured in the production is Meghan Taylor, who is also a senior.
While the Nutcracker production is a tradition at the all-girls school, each year nuances of the show change, say producers.
"One of the most special things about this production is that it is choreographed completely by the students," says Debora Cox, office of Instructional Advancement at Sacred Heart Academy in Hempstead.
The curtain rises at 7:30 tonight, Nov. 20, for the first performance and there will be an encore tomorrow, Sunday, Nov. 21 at 2:30 p.m, which is already sold out. Tickets are still available for the Saturday show. They are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Call 516.483-7383 for more information.
