By June Mathews
Most little girls only dream of wearing a pink tutu and dancing with a handsome prince. But for the upcoming production of Birmingham Ballet’s “The Nutcracker,” that fanciful scenario is Katherine Free’s reality.
A 17-year-old senior at Hoover High School, Katherine danced the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy, the queen of the Kingdom of Sweets, this year.
“I had the opportunity to dance this role last year, but it’s never the same, as each year brings unique challenges,” she said. “While it’s a dream come true, it’s also a lot of work. I sacrifice my toes to pointe shoes for hours every day.”
Katherine is no stranger to hard work. Her academic load consists mainly of AP and IB courses, and she studies the Russian language. Even though ballet and school take up most of her time, she also fits piano lessons into her schedule.
But the daughter of Birmingham Ballet’s artistic/executive director, Cindy Free, Katherine has grown up with dance.
“My mom has told me that I tried to dance before I could walk,” she said. “When I was about six months old, I was sitting on the floor during a Swan Lake rehearsal, and I tried to spread my swan wings and dance. Unfortunately, I face-planted instead. So more or less I’ve been dancing my whole life.”
As a member of a ballet family, Katherine comes by that lifelong desire to dance naturally. Her grandmother founded the Canton Ballet in Canton, Ohio, and her mother re-established the Birmingham Ballet in 1991 after the original Birmingham Ballet folded due to financial hardships in the 1970s. So not only is Cindy Katherine’s mother, she’s also her principal teacher and director.
“Playing the dual role is sometimes challenging, but we’ve been able to work it out,” Cindy said. “I believe the desire to dance was born in Katherine – just as it was born in me and my mother – and I see it as my responsibility to help her reach her goals. I’m glad to be able to share the ballet world with her.
“I know firsthand how difficult ballet is, so when I see Katherine dance it makes me proud. I’m also proud that she takes very seriously her responsibility to be a good role model for the young dancers coming up at Birmingham Ballet Academy.”
It was with her mother’s help that Katherine was able to expand her training horizons all the way to Russia last summer.
After auditioning and being accepted for a Russian ballet summer program held in New York City, Katherine earned the opportunity to apply for an additional program that involved a full merit scholarship to study ballet and Russian language in Moscow at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy. After essays and interviews, she became one of only 15 Americans chosen for the NSLI-Y Russian Language and Culture and Bolshoi Way program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and the Russian American Foundation.
“I love the Russian technique for dance because of its attention to detail,” Katherine said. “There is no equivalent to the experience of training with Russian teachers at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, where the Vaganova technique has been guarded and perfected for hundreds of years. Being immersed in a culture where the arts are respected and valued even more than sports are valued in America encouraged and inspired me to keep pushing toward my fullest potential.”
As for the future, Katherine aspires to dance professionally in either the U.S. or Europe, “where dance is highly appreciated.”
“However, a ballet company career is never a given, so I am excited to explore any and all dance and performance opportunities that come my way,” she said.
Beyond dance, the teen is interested in a possible career in international business, a practical ambition of which her mother wholeheartedly approves.
“I hope Katherine will have many opportunities to dance and a variety of experiences in the performing arts,” said Cindy. “But dance is a brief career, so I hope she will also find happiness in a second career that gives her opportunities to connect with diverse people and cultures. I know she’ll bring her incredible work ethic and abundant creativity to whatever she does.”
In the meantime, Katherine will keep dancing, even though she’s sometimes not exactly sure what spurs her on.
“It must be something deep in my soul because it’s a lot of hard work,” she said. “But I love it!”