Grand Pas de Deux (Nutcracker Ballet) Mikhail Baryshnikov

The Pas de Deux from The Nutcracker Ballet saddens me. It makes me think of Noah and how he danced the part of the prince one Christmas in a regional performance. Still in high school, this was his first big stage performance after winning the audition against older, more experienced dancers. Seven months later in July, Noah was badly injured in the house fire that took the lives of his parents. The tragedy destroyed his plans to attend the Juilliard School of Music.