Face to face with her reflection, senior Maya Gaudette glides across the hardwood floor in tempo with the jingle of bells. With a poised posture and pointed toes, she loses herself in the familiar rendition of The Nutcracker ballet she has taken part in three times prior, but now she adjusts herself to take on the role of the star character, Clara, in her studio Ms. Debbora’s School of Dance production at the Ritz Theater in Escondido Dec. 7.

Gaudette has never known a life without dance, and since the age of three, she has trained in ballet. The liberation of emotions she felt through dance prompted her to pursue ballet over different dance styles.

“There were a few years when I stopped ballet, but somehow I always came back… I now continue to dance because it’s become a way to release emotions, express myself, and work out,” Gaudette said.

In elementary school, Gaudette was first cast as a snowflake in The Nutcracker. Years later, as a  sophomore, she took on the role of Uncle Drosselmeyer. These performances did not remain very memorable for her, but in her junior year she danced as a Party Teen, Marzipan, and a Nutcracker soldier.

Longtime friend and co-dancer of over 10 years, sophomore Sydney Harris has seen Gaudette’s dance journey. “I am playing one of the bear dolls alongside her, and Maya is a wonderful Clara; she is a very graceful dancer, and she definitely has so much talent to share with others,” Harris said.

The Nutcracker piece has become a stepping stone as Gaudette continued to grow her skillset to attain the central character of Clara. The tradition of such a crucial character normally being portrayed as a younger girl, in contrast to Gaudette’s height of 5 ‘8 and age has made Gaudette question her credibility.

But her ballet teacher of 15 years, Kellie Nichols, prides Gaudette’s growth as a ballerina and the honor it has been to see her interpret her own rendition of Clara.

“She has grown in so many ways… she is no longer the shy little ballerina on stage, but a beautiful talented dancer. Maya was the obvious choice for Clara. She is such a beautiful ballerina, and has added so much grace and humor to the role,” Nichols said.

At the moment Gaudette wants to take part in her company’s current productions to finish off the year. But after that, Gaudette hopes to fuel her passion and continue dancing in college as a hobby.