Last weekend, skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, synonymous with daring tricks and modern skate culture, faced an experience far outside his comfort zone: performing at a ballet.
The 57-year-old San Diego native, who shares his name with “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater,” made his ballet debut on Saturday in Golden State Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker.” During a unique show at San Diego’s Civic Theater, Hawk appeared in multiple scenes of the popular holiday ballet, entertaining the audience with tricks while in costume.
“Sometimes you have to say yes to things that are way out of your comfort zone, especially when your daughter thinks it’s weird,” he wrote in a post Sunday.
Golden State Ballet teased Hawke’s “Nutcracker” cameo earlier this month, announcing that “he’s trying something completely new.”
The original post said, “He supports the arts in San Diego.” “He’s proud of his daughter.”
is a two-act ballet about a girl named Clara who receives a Nutcracker for Christmas. When the toy magically comes to life, he protects Clara from the Mouse King and takes her on a dream journey through a land of colorful sweets ruled by the Sugar Plum Fairy.
So how exactly does this apply to professional skaters?
Hawke posted several photos and videos of her performances, including footage of her first cameo appearance in the ballet’s opening number. The sports icon, wearing a scarf and newsboy cap, disrupts the snowy landscape outside Clara’s house. He skates across the stage, balancing on a board with his hands in the air, as the police chase him.
Hawk wasn’t the only skater on stage during the ballet’s second act. During a crowd-pleasing trepak (Russian dance), Hawk and young skater Caitlin West joined three other dancers as they leapt into the air from the quarterpipe. Like the dancers, both Hawk and West wore Russian-style fur hats, tunics, and baggy red pants. There was a big round of applause from the audience.
Finally, Hawk and West took the stage for the show’s curtain call. Not too shabby, skater boy.
