WVCSD Artist of the Week: Nova McRoberts

Warwick Valley Middle School fifth grader Nova McRoberts has been crossing off goals from a very ambitious list! As a passionate performing arts student with an impressive resume already under her belt, Nova has worked her way to one of her biggest dreams so far, performing The Nutcracker with the New York City Ballet this winter.

That’s right! This holiday season, Nova will be performing on stage at Lincoln Center in a dream role she’s imagined for a large part of her childhood.

“I've only seen The Nutcracker once when I was little, but I remember seeing the angels, and I was like, ‘I wanna do that one day!’” Nova said.

Nova learned she’d been cast in late September and has been rehearsing at Lincoln Center twice a week ever since. (Her first shows begin this week.) The moment she found out, she cried tears of joy.

“This has been one of my dreams since I found out about the New York City Ballet,” she said. “I’m just so happy that I get to be a part of this community.”

While stepping onto the Lincoln Center stage is what she’s looking forward to most, Nova said a big highlight so far was getting fitted for her elaborate costume.

“We went down a bunch of flights of stairs – like, a bunch – but when we got there, I saw this beautiful, beautiful, beautiful dress with a hoop skirt and ruffled sleeves. And at that moment, I was just so happy.”

Behind this milestone are years of dedication to the performing arts. Nova has been in theater productions since age four, when she played the Elephant Bird in Seussical the Musical. Since then, she has taken on roles in local productions including Nemo in Finding Nemo, Cruella de Vil in 101 Dalmatians, Erica in Matilda, and Michael in Peter Pan.

Nova has trained with the American School of Ballet for the past three years and studies multiple dance styles, with lyrical as her favorite. Recently, she stepped outside her comfort zone and tried hip hop for the first time, discovering a new appreciation for its unique, upbeat energy that differs from her usual, technical style of dancing.

Nova’s artistic interests don’t lie in dance alone. She is a passionate flutist with the WVMS band and is preparing to audition for a solo in the upcoming winter concert.

“I like [the flute] because it's high pitched, and I like the challenge because it's one of the hardest instruments to play in the band,” she explained. Nova loves the flute but has always felt drawn to the piccolo and hopes to pick that up when she enters high school.

For Nova, performing is more than a hobby, but a part of who she is. Both of her parents spent years working in Broadway productions, shaping her love of theater from the very beginning. That connection has also given her unforgettable memories, including watching her mom perform alongside generations of Rockettes from the past century at the 100th Christmas Spectacular last weekend.

Through all her rehearsals, auditions and performances, Nova said the performing arts have taught her courage, discipline, and how to push herself into new experiences. As happened with hip hop, the confidence Nova has developed by performing has led her to dive into other interests like photography and, even, leadership.

Nova is a fifth grade representative in the WVMS Student Senate and a budding photographer. She took a macrophotography class over the summer and hopes to bring her camera skills to the WVMS Literary Club this year.

When Nova reflects on everything she has accomplished, she said it’s her growth that stands out most.

“I guess I'm most proud of all of the progress that I've made as a performer,” she said. “And really just being able to get this experience with the New York City Ballet!”

As The Nutcracker gets underway, Nova is already looking ahead. She plans to audition for two other ballets this year: Sleeping Beauty and Coppélia.

“I’ve already done Coppélia, and I think it's just a really beautiful piece,” she said. “So, I'd be overjoyed to do it again.”

Unsurprisingly, Nova’s long term goals are just as ambitious.

“I really want to be a performer. I already have five college ideas in my head,” she said. “Juilliard, Carnegie Mellon, Yale, Princeton, and NYU.”

At the moment, Nova is loving her first year of classes in middle school.

“My favorite subject right now is probably science, but my all-time favorite subject has to be American history. I love to learn about the American Revolution and the Native Americans,” she said.

At the end of the day, theater is where Nova feels most at home.

“I love theater because it incorporates all the things I love,” she said. “My dream roles would probably be Newsies or Hamilton; I love them both. Oh… and Waitress! My favorite song from that one is probably When He Sees Me.”

From her first role at four years old to the bright lights of Lincoln Center, Nova is proof that passion, hard work, and dreaming fearlessly can take you to incredible places!