a night for magic #ClevelandNutcracker

Miss Renee was my dance instructor. My dance school sat on the corner of Northfield Road and some small side street in a suburb of Cleveland. And I'm pretty sure I was the least graceful of the bunch. After all, I was the "chunky" ballerina.

It didn't matter. We weren't a "real" dance studio. Ballet for this working-class group was merely more of an exercise in socialization and manners than anything else. We didn't attend competitions. We didn't have recitals or performances.

But in the end, I think it fostered my love of the arts. So my lines aren't great. And I'm still chunky. I can appreciate a good party scene and Clara's best friend when I see her.

This is Amara's second year to be part of her studio's production of The Nutrcracker. Yes, I'm bragging. And yes, I think she looks fab. So when the Ohio Dance Theatre asked
if we would be interested in a sneak peek of rehearsals, I jumped...or shall I say grand jeté'd...at the chance.

When we arrived, Amara was mesmerized. I mean who can blame her? These are "real" ballerinas.

I personally was impressed with a several things.

• The ODT is Northeast Ohio's ONLY professional ballet company. Who knew?
• After showcasing their talents, several dancers didn't wait for the kids to approach them. They knew Amara, Matilda (Kate's daughter) and Jeanne's daughter would likely be too shy. The girls enjoyed talking with the ballerinas, and Amara was filled with questions!

The performances of the #ClevelandNutcracker are being held at the Stocker Arts Center. Haven't seen a show there? You. Are. Missing. Out. Think intimate venue and not a bad seat in the house. And you guessed it. There's still time to buy tickets.

Visit the Ohio Dance Theatre's website for more information on performance times or the Stocker Arts Center site for tickets.

What's the holiday season without the Nutcracker? It's a great show for the entire family. And I mean, it is "Christmas (Eve), a night for magic. Anything could happen."

Disclosure: The Ohio Dance Theatre and The Niche Parent Network provided me with two tickets to attend an upcoming performance of the Nutcracker. I was not given any guidelines nor instructed on what to write on the social media preview event. Because we all know, I always have an opinion and I rarely keep it to myself.