BEVERLY — Grace and Isabella Boyd's after-school activities keep them on their toes ... literally.
The sisters from Beverly began practicing ballet when they were 4. Their efforts have paid off again this year as they'll both appear in the Joffrey Ballet's "Nutcracker." The show runs from Dec. 5-28 at the Auditorium Theater. Tickets cost about $100.
"I remember when I was 5, my mom took me to go see the 'Nutcracker,'" said Grace Boyd, 12.
Grace Boyd returned home from that first performance with an autographed shoe and a goal to someday star in the show. This year will be her fourth year in the Joffrey's annual holiday ballet. She'll play a polichinelle, more commonly known as one of the clown children.
Howard Ludwig says it's quite an accomplishment for the sisters:
Isabella Boyd, 11, will play a party girl in her second year as a performer. She and her sister practice four days a week at Dance Gallery Chicago at 10628 South Western Ave. in Beverly. They also practice one day a week with the Joffrey Ballet in the Loop.
The children's cast for Joffrey's "Nutcracker" is divided into two groups. Each group performs 13 shows, or about one show per day. There are both matinee and evening performances. None of the children are paid for their participation, said Holly Boyd, the girls' mother.
"It's really professional backstage," said Holly Boyd, adding that her daughters have learned a lot from being in the show.
Still, the production can be taxing. Then there's also the winter commute downtown. When performing an evening show, the Boyd girls typically don't get home until 9:45 p.m., which can make the following day at Sutherland Elementary School difficult.
It's all worthwhile, according to Grace and Isabella Boyd. They both see these performances as well as the rigorous practice schedule as a springboard to a career in ballet.
"They both have the passion. They wake up and dance in the kitchen," said Holly Boyd, who began taking dance classes herself after seeing her daughters' infectious zeal.
The Boyds are skilled dancers. They both also learn quickly, are eager to smile and have a sought-after stage presence, according to Marylee Sinopoli, owner of Dance Gallery Chicago.
Sinopoli, of Beverly, starred in the "Nutcracker" herself years ago when the show was at Chicago's Arie Crown Theater. Since opening her studio in 1998, she's sent more than 100 students to perform in the Joffrey Ballet's "Nutcracker," she said.
"It's a thrill for me to see all of my students on stage," Sinopoli said.
The Boyd girls are also the right size for Joffrey's annual holiday show. Because of a limited and aging collection of costumes, all of the children in the "Nutcracker" cast must be less than 5 feet tall and have a slender figure.
"If you don't make it, it's not because you aren't good enough. Sometimes, you just can't fit into the costume," Grace Boyd said.
Thus, both girls are hoping to hold off on any growth spurt to maintain their spot in the show. Isabella Boyd does seem to have a fallback plan. In addition to the hours she spends dancing, she's somehow found time to learn to play a musical instrument.
"I take the ukulele," she said.
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