Freshmen Grace Schlafer and Shea Ritter are about to trade in the slick linoleum of the dance room for the blinding lights and roaring applause of the Tomball High School Theatre when they debut in the Houston Repertoire Ballet’s annual performance of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker.

Schlafer and Ritter were selected as two of twenty-three CFISD students to dance alongside professional ballerinas in the performance, which regularly sells out. The performance, beginning on Dec. 4 and running through Dec. 6, marks the 20th anniversary of the Houston Repertoire Ballet, a company that strives to give young dancers the training needed to enter the professional dancing world.

“It’s my passion,” Schlafer said. “It’s great that the [the Houston Repertoire Ballet] is showing an appreciation for the arts.”

To get cast, Schlafer and Ritter were evaluated by their director over the course of a month and then selected from a diverse pool of applicants. Preparation for the The Nutcracker began in early September, and Schlafer says the experience has been memorable.

“There are lots of opportunities and the teachers are great,” she said. “You don’t just learn to dance; you become an artist.”

Both Schlafer and Ritter have been dancing for close to a decade, and this upcoming performance will be the result of years of hard work.

“It’s inspiring,” Schlafer said. “I feel like I’m teaching others about what I love to do. It’s really powerful.”

To see these girls in action, buy tickets from the Houston Repertoire Ballet’s website.