As she dances across the stage in The Joffrey Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker,” a fourteen-year-old Oak Park native lives out her dream: to dance with one of the best companies in the world.
The world-famous Joffrey Ballet celebrated the return of Christopher Wheeldon’s “The Nutcracker,” this December at the historic Lyric Opera House. Telling the story of a young Marie who sets out on an “unforgettable” journey through Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair, set to Tchaikovsky’s classic score.
And to perform this beloved classic to an eager and excited audience was Percy Julian Middle School 8th grader Coralai Groulx.
Groulx began dancing around her house around the age of two, taking lessons at Academy of Movement and Music, on Lake Street.
“Something about it stuck with me, it was what I enjoyed,” Groulx said. “I just love performing.”
Following in her mother’s dancing footsteps, Groulx said she completely fell in love with dancing and took every opportunity to perform for others.
Taking summers off is out of the question for Groulx, who said she loves taking summer intensive classes at the company because it lets her do other styles of dance such as jazz, modern, Spanish dance, tap, and of course, more ballet.
For Groulx, ballet is all about the movement.
Describing the style of dance as “graceful, clean, and strong,” Groulx said getting to perform for a live audience is a fun and fulfilling way to display all her hard work and talent.
“You worked so hard, especially at the level of ‘The Nutcracker,’” she said. “Joffrey Ballet is one of the biggest companies in the world, so we work so hard and then we go and get to dance with all the members of the Joffrey company.”
Seeing older dancers has served as inspiration for Groulx, who hopes to one day be in their ballet shoes.
“You see these beautiful professionals and they are so amazing,” she said. “You want to be like them.”
But that doesn’t mean Groulx is completely new to the production; this is the second year she has danced in Joffrey’s production of “The Nutcracker.”
“I felt a lot calmer,” she said, adding she found confidence in knowing she had danced the steps before.
But the energy was at an all-time high during opening night.
“You are backstage and you shake off your nerves. You see people running to get to their spots,” Groulx said. “I didn’t freeze but my brain stopped for a minute but I just kept doing what I had been doing for two and a half months.”
The audience’s response to the performances is also what keeps the dancers committed to putting on a great show.
“It is like thunder, the clapping,” Groulx said. “You hear people shouting, it is so energizing.”
Hoping to continue dancing through high school and college, Groulx said she is dedicated to keep improving and getting better to give herself the best chance of being a professional dancer.
“I’ll be backstage watching them – the professionals- and think ‘they are so cool; I just want to do this forever.’”