When the curtain rises on Snow White, Kansas City Ballet School Academy student Inés Nin doesn’t ease into the story. She leads it.
At just 12 years old, Inés is playing Dwarf #1, the first Dwarf to step onstage and a role that returns throughout the ballet. “It’s a responsible role,” she says. “You have to remember all the counts and lead the others onstage.” It’s also the longest time she’s ever spent performing in a single production, a challenge she meets with focus, imagination, and joy.
“I love being on stage,” Inés shares. “Especially when I know the audience is enjoying it.” As a Dwarf, she isn’t just dancing; she’s creating a character. “I want people to feel like they’re actually there in the forest with us. Happy and carefree.”
More Than a Student Performance
That sense of immersion is by design. Part of Kansas City Ballet’s Family Series, Snow White offers young audiences an accessible introduction to ballet and gives students and emerging professionals an experience that reaches far beyond the studio.
All children’s roles in Snow White are performed exclusively by students from Kansas City Ballet School. Across two casts, 26 Academy students bring the Seven Dwarves and Butterflies to life, chosen from nearly 90 who auditioned. For the majority of these dancers, it’s not a brief appearance or background role; they are integral to the storytelling.
Learning Beyond the Studio
“Like any sport, you train so you can go out and play the game,” says Oliver Till, Director of Kansas City Ballet School. “Stage time is essential.” Productions like Snow White allow students to experience ballet as a complete art form — working with stage managers, lighting, costumes, and live narration — while carrying real responsibility onstage. “The Dwarves are driving the story. That kind of opportunity is rare for students.”
Confidence Takes Shape
For Inés, the process has been both demanding and rewarding. Rehearsals require stamina, flexibility, and the ability to adapt quickly when choreography changes. “It’s challenging,” she says, “but in a good way.”
Her confidence has been shaped over time through previous productions — including The Nutcracker, Peter Pan, ALICE in Wonderland, and Swan Lake, where she danced alongside Kansas City Ballet’s Main and Second Company dancers. “They’re so talented and friendly,” she says. “I really look up to them.” Those early experiences performing next to professionals have shown her what’s possible and inspired the path she hopes to follow.
Second Company in the Spotlight
Those role models are front and center in this production. Snow White is performed largely by Kansas City Ballet’s Second Company, giving these dancers the chance to take on lead and soloist roles in a full story ballet.
“This gives them the experience of being treated as a professional company,” says Christopher Ruud, Second Company Manager and Rehearsal Director. From casting to rehearsals to performance runs, dancers are expected to carry the weight of the production, just as they would in a main company. “They’re learning how to hold the stage, tell a story, and grow in confidence.”
Why the Family Series Matters
According to Devon Carney, Artistic Director, productions like Snow White reflect the broader mission behind the Family Series: introducing ballet in a welcoming, accessible way while creating meaningful opportunities for those onstage. “Exposure to the arts at a young age can shape a person’s entire life,” he says — whether they become dancers, designers, administrators, or lifelong supporters of the arts.
For audiences, Snow White is a joyful, hour-long journey filled with friendship, love, and discovery. For the dancers, it’s a formative moment that builds confidence, connection, and possibility.
Snow White runs February 27–March 1 at the Folly Theater.
Opportunities like Snow White are made possible through the generosity of Kansas City Ballet’s supporters. Your generosity helps create professional-caliber experiences for students and emerging artists, while welcoming new audiences into the world of ballet. Thank you for investing in the dancers, stories, and shared moments that bring our art form to life. To learn more, contact Chief Philanthropy Officer Kristin Castle at 816.216.5585 or kcastle@kcballet.org.
Header image: Inés Nin after a Snow White rehearsal. Photo by Kelly Leahy.
