Many students have attended a performance of The Nutcracker— the lights in the theater dim, Tchaikovskys’ famous music begins to play, the curtain rises, and the dancers step on stage, dressed in colorful costumes, performing perfectly rehearsed steps– but how many have gotten the opportunity to dance the lead role as Clara?

By the end of December, senior Jenny Lee will have appeared in nine different Nutcracker performances, as the leading role in five productions, and as a flower in four additional shows.

“My first show as Clara, I was especially nervous during the opening music, but as soon as the curtain went up and I stepped onstage, I felt comfortable with the music and the steps and my nervousness just kind of faded away as I turned into the little excited girl on Christmas,” Lee said.

A lot of time and practice have led her to this moment. It all started when Lee was three, and began dancing jazz, tap, hip hop, and, of course, ballet at a local dance studio, though now she is dedicated primarily to ballet.

“I chose this style because it felt the most comfortable and the most interesting,” Lee said. “I love the full length ballets that tell a story, each with its own specific style of music and movements.”

To perfect those movements, Lee practices two to three hours a day after school and somewhere around 15 hours each weekend, and this commitment increases during the summer. This July, Lee danced every day for seven hours.

“I’ve learned from dancing that there is nothing easy about making something look easy,” Lee said. “There is a lot of effort and work put into making something look flawless and natural, when you manage to perform or learn a step correctly, the hard work is worth it.”

Through her hard work and dedication, Lee has been accepted into programs at Princeton Ballet for students with exceptional abilities and seriousness about ballet. Lee has also attended prestigious summer programs in Princeton, Pittsburgh, and Boston for which she had to audition.

“I would definitely say that going through such intense training has shaped who I am, and how I act in my general life,” Lee said. “Ballet has taught me respect and humility.”

This ballerina definitely does not plan on disappearing from the stage anytime soon, having been invited to summer programs with the Bolshoi, Orlando, and Joffrey Ballets.

“I really want to go professional, and I plan on joining a trainee program after high school, hopefully with Orlando Ballet or Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, or even with Houston Ballet,” Lee said.

Within a year or two after that, Lee should be hired into a ballet company to continue to do what she loves in front of audiences across the world. Though while she is still a local commodity, you should catch her in The Nutcracker while you can.