By JUDY RATTNER
Clayton, who got his start in dance at Leggz Ltd. on Sunrise Highway, auditioned for the School of American Ballet in New York City last May. He was accepted into the program and received a full scholarship. Since September he has been taking afternoon ballet classes twice a week at the school, in Lincoln Center.
In October, Clayton was invited to perform in the George Balanchine version of the classic ballet with the New York City Ballet - an unusual honor for a first-year student, according to Joan McNaughton, artistic director of Leggz. Clayton danced in 23 performances of the ballet, which ran from Nov. 28 through Jan. 3.
Appearing in the "Nutcracker" has been something of a family affair for the McKennas. For four years, Clayton performed as the party boy in the Leggz Ltd./Rockville Centre Guild for the Arts production of Tchaikovsky's fairy tale-ballet. His two sisters and his father have also taken part in the local production. Kelsey McKenna, 15, starred as Clara in 2006 and 2007 and danced with the corps de ballet in this year's shows, while Laney, 8, has twice been an angel and once a mouse in the production. Their father, Bryan, has also made at least four appearances, in the role of a parent at the Christmas party.
"I was really excited to be in the battle scene in the 'Nutcracker,'" said Clayton. "It was a lot of fun, and I met a lot of new friends who are interested in studying dance like I am.
"I was also really interested in the mechanics of the show," he continued, "like how the sleigh flew and how the beds moved."
"It's been an incredible experience for him," his father added.
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