December 4, 2025 By Carol Britton Meyer
Lily Chamberlain, a Hingham High School sophomore who has been dancing ballet for 12 years at South Shore Ballet Theatre – is playing the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in SSBT’s “The Nutcracker” this season, which is a dream come true.
She is especially excited about doing a pas de deux (dance duet) with professional dancer Stephen Gunter from Ballet RI in Rhode Island and will be performing this role on Saturday, Dec. 13, and Sunday, Dec. 14, at 1 p.m.(matinees only).
Lily will be performing an excerpt at SSBT’s Sugar Plum Fairy tea party – which is already sold out – on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. at Hingham Community Center.
“I am probably most looking forward to my role of Sugar Plum Fairy this year. I have grown up at South Shore Ballet Theatre and have worked my way up to this role, so getting the chance to perform it is an incredible opportunity! “ Lily told the Hingham Anchor. “It’s such a fun event to look forward to every year, and with all the hard work we put in, it is always amazing to see it pay off in the end.”
Although this role will be challenging, Lily can’t wait to perform it. This will be her largest role yet, in a ballet, “and all my coaches have helped me so much to get to this point,” she said. “It’s a full circle moment, because as a young dancer I would always look up to the older girls and dream of performing their roles, which I now am. I cannot wait for the show!”
Lily currently dances about 15 hours a week in the pre-professional division while juggling a heavy course load at HHS. Her goal is to continue dancing ballet at the college or conservatory level.
She has attended prestigious ballet intensives such as Royal Ballet in London and Royal Danish Ballet in Copenhagen and spent three weeks training at The Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia.
In 2024, she placed 14th in the junior competitive category at Universal Ballet Competition and has been awarded various merit scholarships to summer intensives.
Tickets for SSBT’s Dec. 13 and 14 “The Nutcracker” 1 and 5 p.m. performances at the Chapman Theater in Weymouth are available at www.southshoreballettheatre.com.
