Karen Bramwell was an adult before she lived her dream of being a ballerina. But she’s never let go

Molly Gilmore
·3 min read

You’ve heard this story before: A little girl longs to be a ballerina, and her dream comes true when she dances in “The Nutcracker.”

Karen Bramwell was one such little girl, but her story has a twist. The Ballet Northwest dancer didn’t really begin in ballet until she was already a wife and mother. In the company’s 2023 production of the Tchaikovsky holiday classic, Bramwell plays a great-aunt in the party scene.

“I had always wanted to dance from the time I was a little kid and never got to, except very briefly when I was really young,” said Bramwell, who’s taken classes with Johansen Olympia Dance Center since 1986 and performed with Ballet Northwest, the school’s performing company, since 1987. (Her first role: Mrs. Cratchit in a ballet version of “A Christmas Carol.”)

“I told my husband, ‘Someday, when we have a daughter who wants to dance, I’m going to start at the same time,’ ” she said. “When my oldest daughter was ready to start dancing, I started taking ballet, and I have never quit in all these years.”

Since her Ballet Northwest debut, Bramwell has appeared in every ballet the company has produced — and that includes a lot of Nutcrackers.

“I’ve done everything from party mom to Waltz of the Flowers,” she said. “I danced on pointe for over 25 years. I did Snow and Chinese. … It’s hard to even remember all the different variations in the second act. I’ve done quite a few of those.”

She also designs and sews costumes for the company’s ballets. “It’s super fun, because it’s another aspect of putting the show together to make it magical, especially for little children,” she said.

Bramwell’s age is a well-guarded secret. (“Divas don’t tell their age,” she said.) But she is the oldest dancer in the company’s 2023 “Nutcracker.” For many years, that honor belonged to Ballet Northwest founder Bud Johansen, who died in March.

“It’s been a couple of years since he’s actually been in the production, but this is our first ‘Nutcracker’ without him behind the scenes,” said Ken Johnson, who co-directs the company with his wife, Josie Johnson. “We really miss him, but his presence is still very much felt, and his wife, Mary Johansen, is still very much part of it.”

This year’s production has a cast of about 200, including guest artist James Kirby Rogers, a principal dancer with Pacific Northwest Ballet. Rogers, who has danced in “George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker” with PNB, will perform as Cavalier in the Ballet Northwest production.

“He was the guest artist in our production of ‘Don Quixote’ in the spring, but this is his first ‘Nutcracker’ with us,” Johnson said. “We’re really excited.”

Sharing the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy are Sela Bell and Audrey Nannini, both seniors at Olympia High School and Running Start at South Puget Sound Community College. Marius Williams, a senior at Tacoma School of the Arts, dances the role of Nutcracker, while the role of Clara is shared by Ivy Nakauye, a seventh-grader at Meeker Middle School in Tacoma, and Jahnavi Baldini, a sophomore at Olympia High School.

Ballet Northwest’s ‘The Nutcracker’

  • When: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 8-9, plus Dec. 15-16; 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 9-10, plus Dec. 16 and 17

  • Where: The Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia

  • Tickets: $17-$38

  • More information: https://www.washingtoncenter.org/organizer/bnw/