Candlewood Student to Star in "The Nutcracker"

Sometimes hard work does pay off. 

Dix Hills resident Alana Papa started taking ballet lessons when she was 3 years old. By the age of 6, she told her mom, Helen, that she wanted to learn "more serious" classical ballet. "The kids talk too much," she told her mom. 

So her mother signed her up at the Frank Ohman School of Ballet in Commack. Now, at age 11, she practices five days a week to get ready to star as Clara in the school's 29th annual performace of "The Nutcracker."

"Everyone wants to be Clara," Helen said. "The Nutcracker is all about Clara. It's a big honor and we're very proud of her."

They will be performing six shows at the John Cranford Adams Playhouse at Hofstra December 17, 18 and 19. "Alana doesn't think that's enough," Helen said. "She wants to do 20 shows instead of six that weekend. And she wants to perform year round. She just loves what she's doing."

This is Alana's fifth year at the Ohman School and her fifth year performing "The Nutcracker "at Hofstra, but her first starring as Clara. 

Frank Ohman, who is the school's owner, ballet master and artistic director, said, "Alana is a serious student. She has a lot of talent and is very focused. If she keeps it up, she can be famous one day."

Ohman  is an internationally known dance professional who was a soloist at the New York City Ballet for 22 years.

Since 1982, Frank Ohman's New York Dance Theatre, together with the Ohman School of Ballet, has presented the full length "Nutcracker" story ballet every December. This is a full-production ballet with guest artists from New York City Ballet and a cast of 80 children, semi-professional and professional dancers. It's the largest production of "The Nutcracker" on Long Island and the only one performed in the tradition of George Balanchine's New York City Ballet production, according to Ohman.

They will be going into New York City to see a dress rehearsal of the NYC Ballet performing "The Nutcracker," which is not open to the public. "There's nothing bigger or better than that," Helen said.

Ohman's school serves as a training ground for promising young dancers and offers aspiring students the opportunity to learn classical ballet in the tradition of George Balanchine. Ohman likes to start students as young as possible, he said, "so that they learn correctly from the beginning and don't end up with any bad habits. It's hard to retrain them when they come in from somewhere else. But Alana has no bad habits at all. She has great form." 

Alana must take after her mother, who also danced as a child. In fact, Helen will also be in "The Nutcracker" this year, as the lead mother. "She has a great stage presence," Ohman said.

Alana doesn't know if she wants to be a professional ballerina yet. After all, she is only 11. But what she does know is that she loves classical ballet.

"It's great that she found something that she loves and that she's good at," her mom said. There's nothing better than that.

If you want to buy tickets to see "The Nutcracker" at the John Cranford Adams Playhouse at Hofstra, visit www.Ohmanballet.org.