Just Another Dancing Teen: Clara

Who is Clara?

Clara is the heroine of Tchaikovsky's famous ballet "The Nutcracker". She is called Marie in George Balanchine's version of the ballet, and Masha in some Russian versions of it. The entire story of the ballet is seen through her eyes, and a grown-up Clara is even the offscreen narrator of the film "Nutcracker: The Motion Picture". Clara receives the Nutcracker from her Uncle Drosselmeyer at a Christmas party. In most versions, she dreams that at midnight it comes to life and fights a duel with the Mouse King. With Clara's help, the Nutcracker kills the Mouse King and is then transformed into a handsome prince, with whom she falls in love. The Prince then takes Clara to the Kingdom of Sweets in gratitude. They celebrate in her honor, but at the end of the celebration she wakes up to find that it was all a dream and that the Nutcracker is still a nutcracker. In other versions, the magical events in the story are not a dream, and Clara lives happily ever after with the Prince.In Peter Wright's version for the Royal Ballet, the Nutcracker is not only really a prince, but also Drosselmeyer's nephew, as in E.T.A. Hoffmann's original story on which the ballet is based.

(http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0012247/bio)

Why do girls want to be Clara?

Besides the fact that they could be dancing her role in a few years she is relatable. The audiance can imagine how they would react to the things she is going through. Clara is also a role model in ruffles. She is a sweet optimistic little girl, yet determined and talented. Girls can aspire to be like her, onstage and off.

(from Dance Spitit "Meet Clara" December 2009)

How can I be Clara?

TAKING CLASS: Probably the most important step is that you must be taking ballet lessons! 1-2 classes a week will probably not earn you the role anytime soon, 3 classes a week might, and if you take 4-6 classes a week, you will have a much better opportunity.

LEVEL: You must be at an intermediate-advanced level, depending on the ballet studio you are with. Some studios are looking for a girl to play Clara that is 11-13 years old, while others want a more advanced dancer with pointe shoes to play Clara. Check with your ballet instructor to see what she is looking for in Clara/Marie.

AGE: I don't know of any ballet teachers that want someone younger than 10 to play Clara. Most girls younger than that are not at the level to play Clara and aren't mature enough yet to handle such a large role. But just because you aren't 10 yet doesn't mean you should audition; there are lots of other fun roles, such as Clara's Friend, Baby Mouse, Angel, and more!

EXPERIENCE: Most ballet instructors look for a girl to play Clara that has been dancing for many years and has been in other recitals/performances with the studio. You are more likely to have the role of Clara if you've been dancing for a long time and have been doing The Nutcracker or other performances for awhile. This is why it's not a good idea to not audition until you are old enough to play Clara/Marie.

MATURITY: Are you mature enough to play Clara/Marie? You should 1) pay attention in class, 2) follow your teacher's instructions, 3) be polite and respectful to your teacher and fellow students, 4) not socialize during class instead of dancing.
If you follow all of these steps, you will have a good opportunity of playing the role of Clara! But don't be discouraged if you never receive the role; that doesn't mean you aren't a good dancer. There are plenty of other roles that are just as fun!

****Some studios perfer a younger Clara so just because your 9 doesn't mean you wont get the part. Ask the studio owner/artistic director****

(http://www.wikihow.com/Get-the-Role-of-Clara-in-the-Nutcracker)