Join us backstage to get the behind the scenes scoop on fourteen year old dance prodigy, Guinness World Record Holder, YouTube Sensation, and Entrepreneur, Sophia Lucia. Read all about her role in Hallmark’s A Nutcracker Christmas, and hear from her on dance, acting, and confidence.
Sophia Lucia, who has danced from the young age of two years old, was given an opportunity most of us could only dream of. She recently starred as “Sadie”in the Hallmark movie, A Nutcracker Christmas. “It’s every little girl’s dream to play the role of Clara in a production of The Nutcracker,” Sophia said. “I started ballet a little later in my dance career so I honestly never thought I’d have the opportunity to play Clara,” she continued. Little did she know, she’d soon be dancing as Sadie, who gets to dance as Clara in The Nutcracker. “When the opportunity arose […] I was like ‘this is a dream come true!” Sophia beamed.
Not only was Sophia happy about playing the role of Clara, she was also excited
to play the role of Sadie, as she found her incredibly relatable. “Sadie is sweet, caring, and funny. She’s very intuitive to what’s going on, which is very much my personality. She loves to dance and most of all loves her family. That’s what allowed me to bring the character of Sadie to life,” Sophia said.
Despite Sophia being the ideal fit for the role of Sadie the ballerina, she still had to put a lot of work in to perfect the role. She continued her ballet training at local ballet schools in Toronto and had an acting coach to help her prepare for the role. The most special thing she did to prepare was meet one- on-one with co-star Amy Acker (Person of Interest, Angel). Acker, who plays the role of Sadie’s Aunt Lily, helped Sophia become the incredible Sadie that she was. “We built such a bond and I feel like that bond really comes across in the movie. She’ll always have a special place in my heart; I feel like she’s my family!” Sophia gushed. “My hope is when you watch A Nutcracker Christmas, it will leave you with a sense of resilience, passion, family bond, and a love for the art of ballet.” Check, check, check, and check, Sophia.
We were extremely happy that the Hallmark Channel chose a real-life dancer as talented as Sophia to play the role of Sadie (and Clara!). Outside of her role in A Nutcracker Christmas, Sophia has danced her way across our TV screens on shows like, America’s Got Talent, So You Think You Can Dance, Home & Family, Shake It Up!, Kirby Buckets, Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn, Dancing with the Stars, The X Factor, Ellen Degeneres, and more! After watching A Nutcracker Christmas, we can’t wait to see Sophia in more acting roles and see where she goes next!
When did you fall in love with dance & acting?
I really can’t remember when I fell in love with dance. But I do remember when I fell in love with acting. It was during our first table read for A Nutcracker Christmas. Michael Lembeck, our director, sat down with me and made me feel like I could do anything. This is when I knew dancing was my stepping stone into acting.
What have you learned from being a dancer?
Being a dancer has taught me work ethic, patience, to be humble, and no matter what to love yourself for who you are and what you have to offer. No one is perfect!
What genres of dance have you trained in?
I have trained in many genres of dance including ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, hip-hop, ballroom, character, and flamenco. I would love to try Irish Dance and Bollywood someday! It looks like so much fun!
You’ve been extremely successful in the dance world, what are some things you’re thankful for?
Being so young and having so many amazing opportunities from dance has been so amazing. It’s allowed me to travel to 6 out of the 7 continents. I’ve met so many amazing dancers and have made so many friends all over the world. For that I am forever grateful. I’m also grateful for each and every one of my instructors that have put in so much time and effort to make me the dancer I’ve become today. I can only hope I will have the same opportunities with acting. Believe in your dreams!
What one moment in your dance career stands out the most?
One moment in my career that stands out was winning the gold-medal at Varna International Ballet Competition alongside my partner this past July in Bulgaria. I’d only been training strictly in ballet for 13 months and the odds were against me. But I achieved something that everyone told me I couldn’t do.
You always take the stage (and now the screen) with such confidence. What advice can you give to dancers who struggle with confidence?
My best advice for any dancer who may be too afraid to dance or feels too shy is to believe in yourself and love yourself for who you are because anyone can achieve the best when they believe in themself. Also remember the saying, “everybody puts their pants on the same way.” We are all just like one another, so if you feel intimidated, remember that. Don’t quit because you never know what could have been.
