66 November 24  2016

W

hen Sydney Fong was 
6, her mom, Barbara 
Collins, did what many 
moms do  she signed her daugh-
ter up for dance classes.
Little did she know her daughter 
would fall in love with ballet and 
would be pirouetting profession-
ally just two years later. Now 11, 
Sydney is poised to appear, for the 
third year in a row, in the BalletMet 
production of The Nutcracker, Nov. 
25-27, at the Detroit Opera House. 
One of more than 80 local dancers 
featured in the production, Sydney 
plays the parts of a Party Girl and 
a Ginger to the live Michigan Opera 
Theatre orchestra playing the classic 
Tchaikovsky score, more than 100 
years old. The ballet tells the story 
of the young Clara and her beloved 
Nutcracker-turned-prince as they 
journey together to the Land of 
Sweets for a magical Christmas Eve.
Sydney took time out of rehearsal 
to chat with the JN:
JN: Where do you go to school?
Sydney Fong: I
m in sixth 
grade at Derby Middle School in 
Birmingham. I also attend Hebrew 
school at Temple Beth El.
JN: Where do you dance? Do you 
study other styles besides ballet?
SF: I
m a member of Eisenhower 
Dance Center in Birmingham. I
m 
also a member of student company 
[she will perform at the Detroit 
Opera House in January, and will 
also compete at the Youth America 
Grand Prix in Pittsburgh in January]. 
I also take contemporary and jazz 
classes. Ballet is my favorite  but 
contemporary is a close second!
JN: How many hours a week do 
you dance? How long did you pre-
pare for this role?
SF: I usually dance about 12 hours 
a week. For The Nutcracker, we pre-
pared for eight weeks. Rehearsals 
were always on the weekends  
Saturday and Sunday  on top of 

the 12 hours. [She
s good at time 
management, her mom says.] 
JN: Do you see dance as a pos-
sible career?
SF: This is a question I get asked a 
lot. I would really like to pursue bal-
let, but I
m not totally convinced yet. 
I also have a passion for writing and 
playing tennis.
JN: What do you love about 
dancing?
SF: It allows me to take my mind 
off of reality. I feel free when I
m 
dancing.  
JN: Do you get nervous when 
you
re on stage?
SF: Sometimes. But once I
m on 
stage, I always forget my fears. If 
your dreams don
t scare, then they
re 
not big enough.*

arts & life

d a n c e

Tiny Dancer

The JN chats with 

11-year-old ballerina 

Sydney Fong, performing 

in The Nutcracker.

Lynne Konstantin | Arts & Life Editor

details

BalletMet
s The Nutcracker will have four 
performances Nov. 25-27 at the Detroit 
Opera House. Complementary activities 
during family matinees include live rein-
deer prior to the performance, free ice 
cream from Treat Dreams and the Sugar 
Plum Parade on stage following the 
performance. $29-$110. (313) 237-7464; 
michiganopera.org.

Sydney Fong 

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