HOST INTRO: Seeing The Nutcracker ballet every year is a tradition for many families. But for some people, being in the show is the real treat. This fall, as rehearsals for the iconic show ramped up, journalist Valerie Conklin interviewed an eleven year old ballet dancer excited to do her part.
TRACK: I’m sitting down with sixth grader Sarina Conklin to discuss her favorite extracurricular activity, ballet. We sit on her bed, just a few feet from where her pink ballet bag hangs from her closet’s door knob. She’s just arrived home after being fitted for her Nutcracker costume, and she’s very excited to share her backstory.
ACT: SARINA: “I started ballet when I was like really young and I just stuck with it even if it was like hard sometimes. I just did it because I didn’t really wanna lose my streak.”
TRACK: When asked what challenges she faces, Sarina assures me ballet is actually easy. Then, she ammends her statement, saying it has been a little tough this year.
ACT: SARINA: “I broke my foot this summer so I kind of like lost like some of my like movement and I had to get it back.”
TRACK: Sarina tells me her weekly ballet classes are already devoting most of their time to Nutcracker rehearsal, which she loves because she gets to show off what she’s learned in front of an audience.
ACT: SARINA: “We perform the Nutcracker at the Shubert Theater in New Haven.” “I am going to be the same thing as last year cause last year I was a Russian Trepak Corpse, I was a Trepak Corpse but we usually call it Russian I believe.”
TRACK: The Shubert Theater’s website warns guests that The Nutcracker has limited seats available, so this year’s show is going to be another popular one. For Baruch College, I’m Valerie Conklin.