For five years, Zoe Francis has auditioned for the title role of Clarice in The Creole Nutcracker.
For four of those years, she watched as someone else got the role.
"I've been trying to do this since the first year," Francis said. "It's actually been my dream."
Francis kept practicing and never let getting passed up for the role deter her from achieving her dream of becoming Clarice.
Hard work and dedication paying off, this year, Francis is taking on the lead role.
"Doing this one as a black ballet dancer that's really cool," Francis said. "As a person who is looking at other people, I was also trying to do this role, people looking up to me, that is really cool."
It is stories, like this one, tat keep Jazymn Jones and Leigha Porter coming back year after year.
"This is the largest attendance that we've had for participants," Jones said. "A lot are returning, but we have a lot of new ones. Our parents are happy, kids are happy, and they're coming back for a different role every year. We have a role for whoever you are, we can figure it out. To see those number, rise every year, returning parents, kids, and audience members with a friend. This is all we could ask for; this is what we envisioned."
"The Arts changes lives, because it does," Porter said. "We know that most of the kids won't go on to be professional dancers or in the art world. The discipline, confidence and leadership skills are what the arts have to provide is what is going to allow them to go into the world and be amazing individuals."
With five years under their belts, helping to build a communities love of the Arts, Porter and Jones said they cannot wait to see what the next five years have in store.
