15-Year-Old Mary Frances Britt brings Clara to life in Middle Georgia’s beloved ‘Nutcracker’

Some – mostly youngsters – will see the Nutcracker of Middle Georgia’s production of the classic Christmas ballet this weekend and dream of being on stage themselves one day, moving gracefully, powerfully, to tell the enchanting tale of little Clara and her heroic Nutcracker Prince.

That happened to Mary Frances Britt.

It was as a 6-year-old that her eyes first widened at dancers performing the ballet at The Piedmont Grand Opera House.

Today, at 15, she said it’s a dream come true that she’s dancing the lead role of Clara.

“I think it’s every little girl’s dream who sees ‘The Nutcracker’ to be Clara,” Britt told me. “I saw it with a friend and immediately became infatuated with ballet. I knew that’s what I wanted to do. The dancers were so beautiful as they seemed to effortlessly move and flow with the music. It’s so interesting how dancers can convey a story not by using words but by using their bodies. It’s really cool how dancers can do something so difficult as dancing and still convey a story through their artistry and technique.”

After seeing The Nutcracker, Britt convinced her parents to let her take lessons and she dedicated herself to dance. Lessons began at Simply Dance, then Dance Arts Studio and now she’s at the Jean Evans Weaver Center for Dance.

She’s danced with the Middle Georgia Youth Ballet for three years and been on stage with Nutcracker of Middle Georgia for five years, dancing the roles of Toy Soldier, Angel, Little Girl, Flower and Chinese.

And now, Clara.

What does it take to win the coveted role through audition?

Alice Sheridan, the Nutcracker of Middle Georgia’s artistic director, has answers. 

“I like dancers to move a certain way in their classical training,” she said. “I love their upper bodies and their arms to move very beautifully and expressively. Epaulement is the ballet term meaning the position of the shoulders, head and neck. I tend to cast older dancers who have experience but at the same time look the part of Clara who is a young girl.

“I look for strong stage presence that can light things up. They need classical training but also need to add acting to it. Clara is such an expressive role and she’s not always dancing so it’s a plus having the ability to act. For many dancers, that doesn’t come naturally. After all, they’re dancers, not actors.”

But Britt has that plus.

“I did theater at my school, the Academy for Classical Education (ACE),” Britt said. “I love it, but the last state one-act play competition fell on a rehearsal for Nutcracker so I had to make a decision about what was most important to me: dance or acting. The obvious decision was to drop theater which was tough because I have so many friends in it. But I desire to dance and I’ve put so much work in it.”

Sheridan complimented Britt’s ability to use facial expressions to communicate to an audience as an actor would.

Britt said there’s a mindset involved as well.

“I’ve always been careful to watch past performers to see what they’re doing and learn from them,” she said. “And I always try to remember that this is a little girl and I try to remember how younger girls act at Christmas or when they go to a party. I try to think how she’s feeling and how she would react rather than doing what I would do. My theater background helps with that.”

Returning to what Britt said about putting the work into dance, she admitted though she was first attracted by the magic of Nutcracker’s dancers, she soon realized the magic comes through discipline and effort.

Early on, she began taking every opportunity that came her way to increase her understanding and skill as a dancer. That included weekly classes, rehearsals and an array of summer intensive camps and courses locally and at some of the most prestigious colleges and universities known for dance programs.

It also took her parent’s dedication and courage to let their young daughter go off for weeks at a time to attend.

Her parents are Shannon and Rachel Britt. Her father told me how hard it was to see their 12-year-old daughter leave for faraway places and then get calls not complaining she wanted to come home but that she needed more supplies like tape and glue to cover blisters.

Now, as his daughter debuts as Clara, he – an outdoorsman and forester with Georgia Timber LLC who has never been given to theatre or dance – will make his own stage debut filling a vacant slot as a non-dancing party scene member. But before accepting the role, he did the right thing as a dad: he asked his daughter’s permission.

“Nothing I would do up there would outshine her,” he said, laughing. “I just didn’t want to be up there if it made her feel awkward in any way. It’s a big moment for her and I didn’t want my being around to take anything away.”

Having watched his daughter and now seeing behind the scenes has left Shannon Britt greatly impressed.

“She has the ability to set a goal and accomplish it,” he said. “It’s been something seeing her dial in at such a young age and be laser-focused on her passion for dancing. She and others do something so difficult, so athletic that takes such strength and they make it seem so beautiful and graceful. It’s incredible.”

It was no surprise learning Britt is an A student and plans to pursue dancing as a career. It was a little surprising to find she loves biology and plans to pursue a degree in it. Thoughtful and articulate as she is, remember she’s just 15 and a high school sophomore.

And it’s no surprise that she stresses the camaraderie among dancers over the stereotype of competition or that she’s humble enough to talk often about the importance of learning from others, like older Nutcracker dancers through the years who she said she watched in awe or the professional dancers who take part each year or Sheridan who teaches her at the Weaver Center.

And happily, despite the toil, it’s no surprise to hear the excitement in her voice when talking about dancing and everything surrounding it, including getting to perform at The Grand.

“The Grand itself is exciting,” she said. “That stage is amazing and there’s a great feeling under the stage where our dressing rooms are. It’s just like being backstage in all the movies you see about dancers. It’s like it’s old but 100% gorgeous.”

Britt has lots of goals, but what’s the “why” in it all now?

“I find peace in dancing,” she said. “It’s hard, but at the same time it’s relaxing. It hurts and your feet get blisters but everything seems to quiet down when I’m dancing. I believe I have something to bring to the table and that if I work hard and do all I can, I can bring something special to audiences. It brings me joy. It makes me happy.”

Tickets were nearly sold out at mid-week, so hurry to see if there’s a chance there may be a few single seats left. For links to tickets, showtimes and more on the production, go to midganutcracker.com.

Contact writer Michael W. Pannell at mwpannell@gmail.com. Find him on Instagram at michael_w_pannell.