Science teacher Amy McCormick and eighth-grader River B. participated in the Space Coast Ballet production of “The Nutcracker” on Dec. 2 at the King Center. River danced the lead role of Clara, while McCormick danced in the party scene and the street scene.

“The production was super fun,” River said. “It definitely was a great learning experience.”

River said despite having a successful production, there were still some negatives about the experience. 

“I had to practice a lot on top of homework, so I didn’t have that much free time,” River said. “I even went to Orlando every Wednesday after school. The whole trip was six hours in all.”

Having to spend time preparing for the production required McCormick to take time off from school.

“I usually end up taking off the Friday before,” McCormick said. “That day, though, is normally when we grade the Senior Projects, so I just grade mine before.” 

Despite this difficulty, McCormick has been doing this production for three years and plans on keeping the tradition.

“It was wonderful,” McCormick said. “We had a great time, we always do. I actually started because my daughter was a mouse, and they had no soldiers to practice with since none of them showed up. I asked if they wanted me to stand there for their practice, and I actually got suckered into being a soldier for my first year.” 

By Ella Bendall