A dying Oklahoma woman’s lifelong dream of dancing within the Nutcracker has come true because of the onerous work of her mom and the native ballet.
Olivia Francis, 9, had lengthy dreamed of dancing within the vacation ballet. However only one 12 months after she began dance classes, the younger woman was recognized with Friedreich’s ataxia, a uncommon, terminal neurological situation that impacts her capability to stroll.
However Olivia’s mom, Mary, wished her little woman’s dream to come back true and reached out to the Oklahoma Metropolis Ballet to see if it might assist.
Working collectively, they have been in a position to create a brand new function only for Olivia — a lady named Marie who makes use of a classic wheelchair.
Olivia Francis, 9, left, had lengthy dreamed of performing within the Nutcracker, however only one 12 months after she began dance lessons, she was recognized with a uncommon neurological illness
The younger woman’s goals lastly got here true this 12 months when the Oklahoma Metropolis Ballet included her of their manufacturing of the vacation present
The ballet created a job only for her — a lady named Marie who makes use of a classic wheelchair
Olivia mentioned she cried when she heard the information that she would lastly have the ability to carry out on stage alongside her fellow ballerinas — a dream she first wrote about in her first-grade pocket book, based on OKC FOX.
She then made her ballet debut on December 10 and can proceed to star on stage by December 18.
Olivia informed KOCO the function as Clara’s sister will not be the way in which she envisioned she could be within the vacation manufacturing however mentioned ‘I am actually grateful.’
She famous: ‘Principally I am simply performing, however there may be one half the place I can dance.’
And when she does rise up to bop, Racheal Nye, the college director for the Oklahoma Metropolis Ballet, mentioned ‘everybody simply has their eyes on her.
‘It is actually one thing to see her on stage,’ she mentioned. ‘It is impressed everybody round her.’
Olivia, pictured left in her wheelchair, made her debut on December 10 and can proceed to play the function by the shut of the present on the 18
Olivia’s mom, Mary, mentioned the sight of her daughter dancing on stage introduced tears to her eyes
For Mary, the sight introduced tears to her eyes.
‘It is so thrilling,’ she mentioned, revealing that her excited daughter informed her “Mother, they’re attempting to make me well-known.”
