’Tis the season for holiday traditions. And, for me, no Christmas is quite complete without “The Nutcracker.” As a child, I often traveled downtown for the Joffrey Ballet’s annual production. From the edge of my seat, I could never wait for the show to begin.

There’s nothing quite like the moment before the curtain lifts – when the cacophony of the orchestra calms, the lights dim and the audience’s buzzing chatter quiets to a hushed silence. The excitement is almost tangible, as hundreds of people wait to be transported into a world of magic and splendor.

When I grew older, I experienced this moment from a new perspective. In my local dance studio’s production of “The Nutcracker,” I rehearsed for months as a snowflake, a Chinese cup of tea and a flower. When it was time for the curtain to rise on my own performance, I couldn’t wait to exhibit all of my hard work.