Young dancers play leading roles in Christmas classic ‘The Nutcracker’

New York City Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” is a holiday classic that draws thousands of people to Lincoln Center every year.

The company performed George Balanchine’s ballet every year since 1954. The show takes audiences from the grandeur of a sparkling Christmas party to the dream world of a young girl, accompanied by a nutcracker-turned-prince. For young dancers, ‘The Prince’ is a coveted role.

Hannon Hachett, 10, and Finlay McCurdy-Van Alstine, 11, are the dancers sharing the beloved role this year. The two are living their dream – and having a lot of fun doing it. Both started dancing when they were about three years old. Finlay said he can’t even remember what drew him to this art form.

“I think I enjoyed using all my energy to do something fun because I had a lot of energy,” Finlay said.

Now that energy is visible when each boy performs. They like to put their own twist on classical choreography and flourish with every performance for a large audience.

“I just like that, the 2,500 people watching you,” Hannon said.

Stage fright doesn’t even occur to the boys.

“I’m more afraid of going to swimming lessons than I am of going on that stage,” Finlay said. “I’m looking forward to this.”

Dena Abergel, a School of the American Ballet faculty member who helps cast the children’s roles, said it’s a joy to see how “The Nutcracker” gives young dancers new opportunities every year.

“That’s something I love about ‘The Nutcracker’ year after year, because every year a new kid gets the opportunity to bring themselves to the stage,” Abergel said. “It’s not meant to be someone who looks exactly a certain way and acts a certain way. The role of the Prince is about becoming that character.”

The boys don’t think much about what comes after “The Nutcracker.” But as the holidays come to an end, they know this moment is fleeting.

“The way I look at things, this is a very happy time for me,” Finlay said. “So when I’m sad or depressed for some reason, I can come and look back on this time. I can think, ‘Oh, this was really fun doing this.'”

At the moment they are enjoying every minute, both on and off stage.

“It feels good to make people happy when they look at you and you do something and you make them feel good,” Finlay said. “And that’s a good feeling.”