Their hair is in perfectly coifed ringlets. Their makeup expertly applied.
These two girls are surely society’s iconic visions of what young Clara should look like. But please don’t stereotype. These two intelligent, articulate and forward-thinking Claras would not allow that.
Lily Conahan and Margaret Zing, both 12, are two home-schooled smarties who won’t be pigeonholed. The dancers are sharing the role of Clara in Olympic Ballet Theatre’s production of “The Nutcracker.”
This weekend the ballet company presents the finale performances of the production at the Edmonds Center for the Arts.
“People think ballet is just a lot of little girls in pink tutus dancing around, but it’s powerful,” Margaret said. “There’s this quote I love that Martha Graham once said and it goes something like ‘ugliness when given power can be beautiful.’”
Speaking of power, Lily was quick to remind about all the boys who are in Nutcracker.
“If you didn’t have boys, it really would not be the same,” said Lily.
“You couldn’t have a girl be the Nutcracker,” Margaret interjected. “A girl wouldn’t be strong enough.”
Margaret added that her brother, Henry Zing, 10, is playing the role of Fritz this year.
“Society’s thinking of ballet is that it’s something for girls. But without boys you would have no ‘Nutcracker.’ Ballet was invented by men after all,” Margaret huffed. “You’ve got to have boys. They are the engine to the train.”
The girls talked during a dress-rehearsal break. Collectively, they have been dancing for eight years, most of that time with Olympic Ballet’s artistic director Helen Wilkins.
“Even with the pressure she keeps it together. And we get to work with some amazing guest dancers,” Lily said.
This year’s performances will feature principal artists from Incolballet from Cali, Colombia. Also, Wilkins’ son and associate artistic director Daniel Wilkins created choreography that includes a sword fight, a daring “Arabian” and guest artists from his own company, DASSdance.
Olympic Ballet’s “Nutcracker” showcases the story of Clara’s dreamlike journey where she encounters Snowflakes, a Sugarplum Fairy, a Mother Ginger with her little Buffoons, and a growing Christmas Tree.
Though quite ready to be Clara, Margaret and Lily still faced challenges. Lily had to learn to trust when lifted by her partner. Margaret had to keep smiling even after seeing her Nutcracker doll “for the 100th time.”
These are, after all, grounded girls who don’t live in some fantasy world, like Clara.
“And if we had a doll that came to life,” Margaret said. “We would definitely run away.”
Theresa Goffredo is a reporter for The Herald newspaper in Everett.
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