While I try very hard not to be a "backstage" mom, when your children get "lead" parts, sometimes it just comes with the territory.
When my son was Fritz, he was ready to be out of the Party Scene after four years of being a Party Boy.
In other words, he was starting to need less time with me as a backstage "boy wrangler" and almost resented me making a big deal out of him being Fritz.
My daughter became Clara the next year.
Now, my daughter wanted to be Clara from the first Nutcracker performance she watched around age two.
She repeatedly told her ballet instructors this fact.
She could not wait until she was:
first, old enough to be in Nutcracker;
and then, far enough along in ballet to audition for Clara.
She enjoyed her first year in Nutcracker as a Small Mouse, just like her older brother had begun his Nutcracker career.
At the first rehearsal for Small Mice, my daughter had to be told that there was new choreography, so she had to stop trying to teach everyone the old choreography that her brother had used.
The next year she was excited to be in the Party Scene as an Animated Small Doll.
Her third year of Nutcracker, she was finally able to audition for the part of Clara.
She got the part of a Party Girl and she was happy.
The next year, she had it in her head that she would be Clara.
There was no talking her out of it.
It was difficult to prepare her for not getting the part because of her positive enthusiasm.
As a mom, I was extremely worried.
I prepared myself for a cry no matter what the outcome.
When we arrived at the ballet studio and saw the cast list, we were elated- she had the part of Clara!
I left the ballet studio as soon as possible, both to keep myself calm and to do some errands.
I called one of my best childhood friends in California.
The phone kept cutting out for almost ten minutes.
Finally, we got a good connection and I managed to tell her the good news through my tears.
The relief to finally cry was cathartic.
And then, Clara Mom was set in motion.
The reason Clara Moms act the way they do is mostly due to pressures.
The pressures include:
1) Three to four practices per week for Clara.
2) Learning and practicing the hair and make-up, which includes:
a) Putting lots of curlers in my daughter's long, thick hair; a task that takes at least an hour after a long day
.
b) Wearing curlers overnight and having a daughter who claims not enough sleep the next day because of it.
c) How much hairspray and what kind is needed before, during, and after curling in order to make the coiffure last.
3) Learning to help with the Clara quick change from party dress to nightgown in the dark.
4) Keeping Clara calm as the stress mounts the closer one gets to the performances due to:
a) Even more rehearsals
b) Special mini performances at schools, homes for the elderly, libraries, etc
c) Late night Tech Week
5) Nutcracker gifts for the cast
(While both my daughter and I love to craft our Nutcracker gifts, we chose to go a slightly easier route and bought mini Nutcrackers and my daughter hand-stamped cards and signed her name and I filled in the cast names.)
Of course, the hardest part is remembering to smile at people when your exhausted;
especially for me because am naturally a shy person and have to think about smiling anyway.
And, the best part of being a Clara Mom is helping other Clara Moms through the ordeal.
My daughter and I like to host an annual Clara and Mom Gathering where past Claras and past Clara Moms pass on their words of wisdom and memories to the current Claras and their moms.
As one of my friends reminded me when I started to get upset because I thought my daughter was being overlooked for a part, "Remember that she had the honor of being Clara."
I had the honor of being a Clara Mom.
Once a Clara Mom, always a Clara Mom.
When my son was Fritz, he was ready to be out of the Party Scene after four years of being a Party Boy.
In other words, he was starting to need less time with me as a backstage "boy wrangler" and almost resented me making a big deal out of him being Fritz.
My daughter became Clara the next year.
Now, my daughter wanted to be Clara from the first Nutcracker performance she watched around age two.
She repeatedly told her ballet instructors this fact.
She could not wait until she was:
first, old enough to be in Nutcracker;
and then, far enough along in ballet to audition for Clara.
She enjoyed her first year in Nutcracker as a Small Mouse, just like her older brother had begun his Nutcracker career.
At the first rehearsal for Small Mice, my daughter had to be told that there was new choreography, so she had to stop trying to teach everyone the old choreography that her brother had used.
The next year she was excited to be in the Party Scene as an Animated Small Doll.
Her third year of Nutcracker, she was finally able to audition for the part of Clara.
She got the part of a Party Girl and she was happy.
The next year, she had it in her head that she would be Clara.
There was no talking her out of it.
It was difficult to prepare her for not getting the part because of her positive enthusiasm.
As a mom, I was extremely worried.
I prepared myself for a cry no matter what the outcome.
When we arrived at the ballet studio and saw the cast list, we were elated- she had the part of Clara!
I left the ballet studio as soon as possible, both to keep myself calm and to do some errands.
I called one of my best childhood friends in California.
The phone kept cutting out for almost ten minutes.
Finally, we got a good connection and I managed to tell her the good news through my tears.
The relief to finally cry was cathartic.
And then, Clara Mom was set in motion.
The reason Clara Moms act the way they do is mostly due to pressures.
The pressures include:
1) Three to four practices per week for Clara.
2) Learning and practicing the hair and make-up, which includes:
a) Putting lots of curlers in my daughter's long, thick hair; a task that takes at least an hour after a long day
.
b) Wearing curlers overnight and having a daughter who claims not enough sleep the next day because of it.
c) How much hairspray and what kind is needed before, during, and after curling in order to make the coiffure last.
3) Learning to help with the Clara quick change from party dress to nightgown in the dark.
4) Keeping Clara calm as the stress mounts the closer one gets to the performances due to:
a) Even more rehearsals
b) Special mini performances at schools, homes for the elderly, libraries, etc
c) Late night Tech Week
5) Nutcracker gifts for the cast
(While both my daughter and I love to craft our Nutcracker gifts, we chose to go a slightly easier route and bought mini Nutcrackers and my daughter hand-stamped cards and signed her name and I filled in the cast names.)
Of course, the hardest part is remembering to smile at people when your exhausted;
especially for me because am naturally a shy person and have to think about smiling anyway.
And, the best part of being a Clara Mom is helping other Clara Moms through the ordeal.
My daughter and I like to host an annual Clara and Mom Gathering where past Claras and past Clara Moms pass on their words of wisdom and memories to the current Claras and their moms.
As one of my friends reminded me when I started to get upset because I thought my daughter was being overlooked for a part, "Remember that she had the honor of being Clara."
I had the honor of being a Clara Mom.
Once a Clara Mom, always a Clara Mom.
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