A ballerina’s career comes full circle

Jennie Somogyi found herself with a serious case of the nerves as she waited for her entrance as the Sugarplum Fairy in “The Nutcracker.”

The reason: The audience was filled with former child ballet performers -- about 200 of them -- who had all appeared at some time in New York City Ballet’s celebrated production.

“I knew there was no fooling them,” Somogyi chuckled after the performance.

The former mice, bunnies, candy canes, toy soldiers and angels had been invited as part of a homecoming celebration for the School of American Ballet, founded by George Balanchine, to mark the company’s 50-year anniversary performance of the Christmas classic.

The celebration was part of a larger one: the centennial of Balanchine’s birth, being marked all year by the company.

For Somogyi, there was a special symmetry to the performance Saturday night. Seventeen years ago, as a 9-year-old ballet pupil, she had fulfilled the ultimate fantasy, appearing as Marie, the lead girl’s role. Now, a principal dancer with the company, she was the lead ballerina.

“It was a full-circle feeling out there,” she said. “I was thinking, ‘I can’t believe I’m doing this!’ ”