In a winter wonderland at Bellevue’s Body Language Dance Studio (BLS), sophomore Taylor Bligh helps sweeten E.T.A Hoffman’s The Nutcracker with her whimsical dance of the peppermint candy.
Bligh has been dancing for BLS since elementary school, and her favorite holiday memories from the studio are from annually participating in the company’s modernized version of The Nutcracker.
“I’ve been in The Nutcracker for so many years now, and as a little one in the baby roles, it was magical,” Bligh said. “It got the Christmas spirit across.”
This season, Bligh will perform in the second act as the ribbon candy. In that scene, she will dance with a long ribbon that is difficult to control and tricky to learn.
The sweets scene is unique to BLS, and Bligh is excited to bring it to life. She appreciates how friendly and joyful the performances are.
“We’re more catered to a family style rather than a professional ballet,” Bligh said.
Bligh says that she gets her view of dancing from BLS’s founding principal: “dance is a universal language”. Following that idea, Bligh will translate the holiday spirit she feels on set into both her dancing and backstage this year.
“One of my favorite things about being in The Nutcracker isn’t even dancing, it’s being backstage as an older girl and helping the little ones get ready, put on their makeup, and do their hair,” Bligh said.
Friendships between dancers and the diversity of Body Language Studio’s program are significant parts of what makes The Nutcracker magical for Bligh and what has kept her in dance.
She reminisced about the holidays she spent participating in The Nutcracker as a little girl,
“It’s amazing to be backstage, warming up the whole day, and it feels magical to play a Christmas character,” Bligh said.
Bligh started dancing when she was three, but ballet hasn’t always been her main style. She picked ballet up recently to practice fundamentals, but more of her focus goes towards jazz and contemporary styles.
“Ballet isn’t necessarily something I’d pursue, but I love dancing, and if I have an opportunity in the future, I’d love to take it,” Bligh said.
Bligh is also part of the Liberty drill team, and it takes up much of her time during the year. Before she joined, she was part of BLS’s select team.
“We go to a lot of competitions throughout the year with routines that we’ve been practicing for a while,” Bligh said. Training in a competitive environment prepared her to perform with drill.
Dancing for BLS select teams, Liberty Drill, and The Nutcracker taught Bligh to find her own voice through dance, and taught her to practice the art of having fun in inclusive and wondrous environments like The Nutcracker.
Though ballet is not her central focus, The Nutcracker has inspired Bligh to keep a positive view of dancing that she hopes to carry into her future.
“Dancing has taught me a lot, and incorporating it into my future is something I plan on,” Bligh said. “It’s magical, so if you have the opportunity, I would recommend it.”
