New Faces for ‘The Nutcracker’

For three members of New York City Ballet’s corps de ballet, the biggest news of the winter season was delivered simply enough. When Kathryn Morgan, Savannah Lowery, and Rachel Piskin looked at the posted rehearsal schedule for George Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker,” they saw their names not grouped with the bulk of the young women under “Waltz of the Flowers,” but, rather, next to the ballet’s three most visible solo roles. On December 15, they’ll make their debuts: Ms. Morgan as the Sugarplum Fairy, Ms. Lowery as Dewdrop, and Ms. Piskin as Marzipan. But they’ll hardly be alone: The girls are the most prominent of eight young dancers making their debuts during the matinee.