Zine

My First Solo
It was an honor to dance in the corps of a
professional dance company since the age of five,
but at the age of twelve, I was the clown in the
Nutcracker. I was given my first solo role, the
beautiful “Polichinelle” clown ballerina that pops
out of a gift box. After a couple months and many
hours of practice, I nervously walked out on the
stage on opening night in December. I looked into
the cold, dark audience and suddenly forgot what
to do next. As the music began, I automatically
began to dance, and as I began to dance, the
audience began to clap along. The applause was
rewarding, it confirmed that I had done it
perfectly, no mistakes, no slips. As I ran off stage,
my older sister (also a dancer) was waiting in the
curtains. She hugged me and my teacher smiled
at me from a distance. It was at that moment I
realized what I had accomplished.