Beginning my journey as an adult ballet enthusiast at the start of 2025 marked a significant milestone in my life. What initially began as a desire to reconnect with my childhood hobbies quickly evolved into an exciting opportunity. I was asked to portray a party parent in the annual production of The Nutcracker. This experience truly deepened my appreciation for all the hard work that goes into a ballet production. It was a memorable adventure filled with preparation, camaraderie, and joy.

Reconnecting with a Childhood Memory

My love for The Nutcracker runs deep. It is a timeless classic that has been a cherished part of my life since childhood. Growing up, I had the privilege of performing in the production a few times at my childhood dance studio. I began as a snow tree, then progressed to a sugar plum, and later to a candy cane.

When I auditioned for my first role in the Nutcracker, I was cast as a party girl! Being cast as a party mother in this year’s production of my local ballet school felt like a full-circle moment. It symbolizes how far I have come (or returned to?) in my dance journey.

Preparing for the Role

When my ballet instructor first approached me about the role, I wasn’t sure what to expect. It had been a very long time since I’d been in the Nutcracker (about 20 years). However, I was eager to take it on. I felt great about how far I had come this year and was flattered to be considered for the role.

One of my friends has been in the party scene for nearly a decade. So I asked her for some pointers of course! She was kind enough to give me the lowdown on what I needed to prepare. Character shoes, hair pieces, and make-up… Even giving me a quick preview of the dance we would be doing, and recording it for me!

Rehearsals

As far as rehearsals go, it wasn’t a terrible amount of time invested. I was actually worried about this because I felt very unprepared and uncoordinated at first. We initially had three rehearsals after our weekly evening ballet classes. The first session was just for adults, and we learned the two dances we would be doing. In the second and third sessions, I believe the older girls joined us. It helped us determine where we need to stand and practice the timing of our “entrance” parts at the beginning of the show.

The next three rehearsals were on Saturdays and included all members of the party scene cast. It was a little confusing at times because there was an alternating cast. My stage partner and I had two girls who would alternate between “Fritz” and our “son.” Their stage names, as our son, ended up being “Maddox” and “Ginneas the Third” (pronounced like Finneas but with a ‘G’).

The final three rehearsals were on stage, and the last was a mandatory dress rehearsal. Leading up to the show, my stage partner and I were feeling more and more confident about performing, and my friends and I had come up with different cues and things we would do to interact during the party scene.

Party Parent Starter Pack

Thanks to my friend’s recommendations, I was able to prepare more easily for my role as an inexperienced Party Mother. Here is a full list of everything I got to make sure I was as convincing as possible!

Shoes

First and foremost, the character shoes were purchased. I’ve never owned or worn a pair in my life, so I was sure I needed to get these as soon as possible so I could practice dancing in them.

The first place I looked for a pair of character shoes was Bloch, since that’s where I like to get my ballet shoes from, but I wasn’t prepared to spend $60~$140 on shoes I might only wear for this one occasion. I turned to Amazon and found this affordable pair with great reviews for $39.99. I ordered my normal shoe size for these. They turned out to be very comfortable and were true to size! I even recommended them to another friend of mine who was in the same boat as me, needing to buy a pair because it was her first time being cast as a party parent.

Tights

A good recommendation my Nutcracker veteran friend had for me was to wear OLD pink ballet tights because they will get dirty while we’re backstage getting ready. I already had a very stretchy, beaten-up favorite pair with some holes and runs, and pretty faded, so I was all set there. If you don’t already have pink tights, I recommend getting the kind with the hole on the bottom of the foot so you can easily convert them into footless tights.

Here’s my recommendation for convertible tights, only $16 on Amazon. If you already have a pair, you should get yourself a new pair and retire your old pair into your dirty stage tights!

Undergarments

Now for the awkward part—getting changed in the dressing room surrounded by people. I don’t particularly enjoy feeling naked in a cold basement, even if I am standing in the midst of a wonderful group of supportive ladies who are also probably not enjoying being mostly naked as they get changed into their costumes. The best thing I could do not to feel so naked is to wear whatever I could get away with underneath my costume. Here are some options for that.

Because my costume was “strapless”, I wasn’t able to wear a normal bra underneath. Wearing something like these $15 Silicone CoverUps or a $25 sticky bra helped in that department.

Another recommendation I have is to wear a bodysuit or leotard if you’re able to. The straps on the one I had were too wide, so I had to skip it. This Capezio one has clear adjustable straps and is less than $20 on Amazon. I’ll definitely be getting this for next year!

Lastly, some nude shorts can help you feel less exposed down there! You’ll want biker or slip shorts that have at least a 4″ inseam for ultimate coverage. This pair on Amazon is only $8.99.

Now, with all your base items on, you’ll look like a blank-slate Barbie, and you can layer on all your costumes and accessories without ever feeling fully naked!

Hair Accessories

I’m not great at fancy hairstyles, so the biggest time-saver for me was a hairpiece to put over my bun and create a beautiful up-do. I got the hair scrunchy above from Amazon for $15.99.

As for putting my hair in a beautiful, voluminous bun in the first place, I swear by these items:

You can say it’s cheating, but I’m already going to wear fake hair. Why not fill it in with a hair donut while I’m at it? Throwing one of these bad boys in really helped me achieve a big poofy base bun. You’ll also want to use a hairnet to keep your hair nice and tidy. You can get this kit on Amazon for $8.99.

Using these spiral hairpins instead of bobby pins will change your life! You don’t need to use as many bobby pins, and they won’t hurt your head as bobby pins do! I only use 3-4 when I do my normal quick bun for ballet class, and for the huge bun I did for The Nutcracker, I used maybe 6 of them.

Lastly, you’re going to want to clean up all the flyaways and stray hairs with this Amazon kit or a boar brush and hair spray.

Stage Make-up

I don’t normally wear make-up day-to-day, and when I do, it’s usually a pretty natural look. So when it came to doing stage make-up, of course, I consulted my Nutcracker-veteran friend for advice. Here is everything I put together in my makeup arsenal to get me through The Nutcracker.

This blush is literally so cute with all the strawberries on it! It may be the only reason I got it earlier this year. I’m actually pretty sad that the strawberry pattern is only on the top because now mine looks like the pink underneath… but! It’s still a good blush for giving a fresh, flushed look. I just piled this on in several layers instead of with the light hand I usually use. The blush comes with a little brush in a compartment underneath, but I don’t recommend it as the bristles are pretty rough and aren’t very good for application in my opinion. It’s available on Amazon for $10.98.

For eyeshadows, I went with the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in 633 Iced Latte (Mauve Brown) and 640 Frappe (Chocolate Brown). Nothing special here, just very easy to use and feels longer lasting than powders. I apply the stick directly to my eyes and then blend with my fingers.

Shout out to one of my besties who put me onto the Wet n Wild Breakup Proof Skinny Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner Ultra-Fine Brush! This is probably the best eyeliner I’ve ever used, and I used to swear by products like KissMe Heroine Make Liquid Eyeliner or Clio Kill Black Waterproof Brush Liner. My eyeliner game has never looked more precise and crisp than now!

I got the thickest lashes I could find to really help accentuate my eyes. These were a pretty good value for $10.69 on Amazon, as I reused each pair twice and have a couple left over after the four shows I did. (I missed the last performance, but I’ll get into that in another blog post.)

The lash glue I like to use is this clear brush-on type. I like to brush it on, then wait a couple of seconds or blow on it until it’s slightly tacky, then press it onto the middle of my lashes, then line up the inner and outer corners. Then I open my eyes to make sure it’s sitting comfortably and adjust if necessary. Once I’m happy with the placement, I put more pressure on it to ensure it’s really stuck, and let it fully dry before opening my eyes again.

I had to ask my friend from when we did the lip sync battle earlier this year for her lipstick recommendation because this color was absolutely STUNNING on everyone who wore it that night. It’s just the right amount of redness without being too bright or too dark. The stain of this product is incredibly strong, and once it dries down, it does not budge. The application is actually pretty easy for clean lines, too! I didn’t have to use any lip liner or concealer. I’d never wear a color this strong IRL, but when it comes to the stage, Maybelline’s Super Stay Matt Ink Liquid Lipstick in 20 Pioneer is the holy grail!

Costume Accessories

Some of my costume pieces were missing when they fitted me for them, so they recommended I get at least some costume jewelry to go with my dress. I got mine for $5 at a local thrift store, and it was amazing how perfectly it matched my dress! Turns out, later, when they found all my costume accessories, my jewelry looked better than what was initially supposed to go with it. If I didn’t find what I did at the thrift store, I would have gotten something like this on Amazon for $25.99.

My costume was missing sleeves when I was fitted for it, and they couldn’t find the puffs until the last minute, so I had to opt for a pair of gloves to go with my dress. Everyone loved the concept, and it looked even better with the sleeve attachments that were finally found the night before the Friday night show!

I got a lot of compliments on these gloves, and they were only $8.99 on Amazon.

Acting Tips for Stage Presence

To convincingly portray someone at a lively holiday party, I focused on engaging body language and expressive facial cues. You’re going to want to make big expressions and act “over the top” so that the audience can see you. Smiling warmly, interacting with fellow performers, and gesturing animatedly contributed to an authentic atmosphere. Remembering to interact naturally with other characters—whether through playful gestures or shared laughter—helped create a vibrant scene that captivated the audience.

Something I did to help me get more into character was to create my own backstory! I decided to make my party mother character the “gossiper”. Every now and then, I would go up to another character and put my hand to my ear and act like I’m whispering a scandalous piece of information.

One of the recurring rumors I would be spreading was about our lady in red (with the “biggest family”), who is expecting twins. I would first act like I’m whispering this to one of the guests, then I would back away and give them a look like “yes, girl, you heard what I said”, then gesture to my stomach in a circular motion, and then hold up my fingers and nod dramatically. “She’s expecting twins!”

The Joy of Performing with Fellow Adult Ballet Friends

Performing on stage alongside my adult ballet friends was an incredibly rewarding experience. The collective enthusiasm and support created an uplifting environment, making every rehearsal and performance so much fun. Sharing this journey fostered new friendships and strengthened our bond through shared dedication and laughter. The thrill of stepping onto the stage and performing together was truly exhilarating—a moment of pride that I will cherish forever.

An Invitation to Embrace Your Inner Dancer

I wholeheartedly encourage others to consider joining an adult ballet class or participating in local productions like The Nutcracker. Whether you are new to dance or returning after years away, taking part in such performances offers immense personal growth, fun, and unforgettable memories. Embrace the opportunity to celebrate your love for dance and bring holiday magic to life—there is no better time than now to start your own journey into this enchanting world~!

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