When Sofia Capek auditioned for “The Nutcracker,” the 8-year-old from Schenectady was hoping to merely land a part any part.
“Just being in it would be a great honor,” she said.
Then she got word that she was going to be Clara, the lead, and she was “super happy.”
So was her mom, who, it turns out, was Clara herself as a kid. Lucie Capek, a plastic surgeon in Latham, was once a serious dancer who had aspirations of making it her career. When she was 12, she was cast as Clara in the National Ballet of Canada’s production of “The Nutcracker.” It’s an experience that she calls life changing.
“It was an unexpected honor to be picked,” she said. “You’re being singled out for something really special.”
Lucie Capek has never forgotten the thrill of being chosen to play Clara, and she loves that her daughter is experiencing it, too. Lucie actually has a front-row seat for Sofia’s performance with the Northeast Ballet Company; Lucie plays a partygoer in “The Nutcracker,” which will be staged Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 8 and 9, at Proctors in Schenectady.
It’s all a little surreal, seeing her daughter play the role she once filled and sharing the stage with her.
“It just feels like such a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Lucie said.
It’s not uncommon for Northeast Ballet to have a mother-daughter combo in the annual “Nutcracker” show, but there are a surprisingly high number this year. There’s even a mother-son duo.
This is the 25th year Northeast Ballet has put on the show at Proctors, which Artistic Director Darlene Myers called “the perfect venue” because of its elegance.
“It’s fun it’s not stiff, but it still has the Victorian twist on it,” she said.
“The Nutcracker” revolves around young Clara and a nutcracker she gets as a Christmas gift. It’s the hit of a party her parents are hosting until her jealous brother breaks it. Clara is heartbroken, but her godfather quickly repairs it. Tightly clutching the nutcracker as she falls asleep, Clara has wild dreams featuring a giant nutcracker, an army of toys, the Land of Sweets and more.
Sofia Capek described Clara as “very imaginative because of her dreams,” noting that her parents spoil her and she doesn’t like her brother. As for herself, Sofia likes dancing because moving to music “interacts with who you are.” Being on stage, she added, is a rush.
“It’s very fun to know people have come from all over to see you,” she said.
Lucie Capek said her daughter used to be pretty shy, but she’s blossomed under Myer’s tutelage. Capek took her daughter to Northeast Ballet on the recommendation of a neighbor after Sofia had been dancing for a while at a different place. She’s been dancing since she was 3, when her mom noticed how much she enjoyed moving to music.
Myer holds auditions for “The Nutcracker” every September that are open to the public, not just Northeast Ballet members. She was excited that Sofia wanted a part.
“She’s a very good little actress,” Myer said. “I really wanted to use those talents and highlight it.”
Myer said Sofia is a serious student who excels at timing and “musicality.”
“She really has an ability to have the audience drawn to her,” Myer said.
There are roughly 150 people in the show, including Beth Alexander, co-owner of Hattie’s Restaurant in Saratoga Springs, who was an early member of Northeast Ballet and will play Clara’s mother. Alexander’s daughter, Zoe, was Clara at the Annual Nutcracker Tea that benefits the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.
Wendy Whelan and Charles Askegaurd of New York City Ballet are filling guest roles as the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier, and Richard Gatta and Matt Prado are taking a break from Broadway to perform in “The Nutcracker.”
Tickets for “The Nutcracker” are $20 to $40 and can be purchased at www.proctors.org.