Alondra Gomez stretches before rehearsing at the Ballet Tennessee studios in the Patten Recreation Center in Lookout Valley. As the Sugar Plum Fairy, she is the first Hispanic to be cast in a major role for the local ballet company.
Wearing a blue leotard and her pink pointe shoes, Alondra Gomez bends her knees, straightens a leg and rests it against the barre in the dance studio inside the John A. Patten Recreation Center in Lookout Valley.
She continues doing her pliés, her fondues and rons de jambe. Each exercise takes three to four minutes – once to the left, once to the right.
After warming up, the 14-year-old is ready to work on the details for her biggest role yet, the Sugar Plum Fairy in Ballet Tennessee’s “The Nutcracker.”
It’s the “crème de la crème” role of the two-act ballet, according to Anna Baker VanCura, Ballet Tennessee artistic director.
“It’s the culmination of the entire ballet. … The anticipation of the whole evening hangs on that moment when the Sugar Plum Fairy and her cavalier – a role played by guest artist Sean Hilton from the Northwest Florida Ballet- do that beautiful pas de deux (step for two),” she said.