A young Citrus County dancer is set to take the stage again in a major holiday performance.
Lara Mitchell has ballet dancing on her brain almost all of the time. She loves it and it truly dedicated.
"I'm here at the studio normally about five to six days a week, so I'd say it's a pretty big part of my life," she said.
Lara is 16 years old now, but started taking lessons when she was 4. She does all kinids of dance, and her resume is already impressive. She has competed and won on the national and state level, and that's not all.
The legendary Moscow Ballet is coming to town to perform "The Nutcracker." Lara auditioned for a small part and got it. This is actually nothing new for this ballerina. She has been in the same production twice before.
"I'm incredibly ready," she said.
The Russian ballet company is on a U.S. tour. Every stop they make, they scoop up the best local talent for a taste of the big time.
Erin Messaris is Lara's ballet teacher. She says all the hard work is paying off.
"If you want to make it in the business, you have to have the work ethic," she said.
"I'm really proud of what I'm doing right now," Lara said.
A talented young dancer has a bright future ahead.
The Moscow Ballet's performance of "The Great Russian Nutcracker" will be Sunday at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg.