On Sunday, December 17, Berks Ballet Theatre senior company dancer, Audra Nemirow, will take her final “Nutcracker” bow. It’s been a remarkable journey from her first performance in the role of a mouse at age six to her performance in the roles of “Mouse Queen” and “Dew Drop” in this year’s production.

Her transformation is detailed in a way only a parent can describe. Her father, Mark, Assistant News Editor at The Reading Eagle, penned an article titled “A Young Ballerina Marks the End of her ‘Nutcracker’ Journey,” shedding light on the hard work and dedication that went into his daughter’s dance career thus far. 

I recall watching my 6-year-old in her cute mouse costume and trying to picture her as a full-fledged ballerina dancing an intricate pas de deux with a professional partner. It seemed so hard to fathom, yet eight years later Audra was doing exactly that.

Read more about Audra’s journey to the stage, the devotion of the company of dancers and staff, and the history of the classic work.