• Job: Dancer, Georgia Ballet, Marietta

KARL W. RITZLER/Special (ENLARGE)

Erin-Elizabeth Watts is in her sixth season with the Georgia Ballet.

JANUSZ MAZON/The Georgia Ballet (ENLARGE)

She appeared in this year's production of 'The Nutcracker' as the Sugar Plum Fairy, dancing with Noel Dupuis.

• What I do: When visions of sugar plums dance in the heads of children who have seen the Georgia Ballet's version of "The Nutcracker," those dreams likely will feature Erin-Elizabeth Watts.

Watts danced the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in this year's production of the classic Christmas ballet, while also appearing as the Snow Queen and in the Arabian dance.

Like most of the company's 24 core performers, Watts, 29, often dances several roles in each production. While "The Nutcracker" has wrapped up its run for the year, she already is preparing for the next production, "La Sylphide."

"I can't imagine doing anything else," she said. "I can't envision doing a real person's job."

Watts considers herself a dancer, not a ballerina. That title, she explained, is for a dancer with a higher level of recognition and esteem.

There's more to her job than performing. She often shows up early to begin her stretching and warm-up program. Preparation also involves class time for the whole company to work on their techniques under ballet master Janusz Mazon or artistic director Gina Hyatt-Mazon, former principal dancers with the Hamburg Ballet.

"We still focus on technique and improvement," Watts said. The dancers "are serious about what we do."

While general audiences get full performances, the company also does abbreviated shows for school groups. On nonperformance days, Watts rehearses for about three hours.

All that still adds up to a part-time job for most of the dancers. In addition to performing, Watts teaches at the company's dance school. She teaches a range of levels — from "mommy and me" movement classes that start at age 2 through classes that prepare dancers for the professional stage.

She spends other time rehearsing on her own, listening to music to stay inspired and even taking ballroom-dancing classes as "a way to explore more about dance. Any time you can learn is a time you can grow."

Watts also is in charge of ordering shoes for the company. "It takes a lot to get everyone's feet happy."

• What got me interested in this: Watts said she had been a gymnast as a girl, and her coaches thought that taking ballet lessons would help her in gymnastics.

"I liked [ballet] more and more — the tiaras, the tutus, the magic," she said.

Watts was about 12 at the time, just about the right age for ballet. "Serious training doesn't begin until age 8 or 10," she said.

• Best part of my job: "Performing," Watts said. "There's just something about putting yourself out there on the stage — the lights, the costumes, the energy."

• Most challenging part: "Being able to be versatile," she said. "You have to . . . not look the same in every role you're in."

• What people don't know about my job: "People think that what we do is make-believe, pretend. They do not believe how taxing and hard it is. It is a career, not a hobby."

• What keeps me going: "There's nothing else I'd rather do. I love my job. It brings me absolute happiness and satisfaction."

In addition, she said, "every day is a reward for effort"; for example, a good rehearsal or performance keeps her motivated and eager to get better.

• Preparation needed for this job: "With good training, it takes about 10 years to make it as a professional dancer," she said.

Dance schools tend to produce dancers, while students who earn college degrees in dance tend to become teachers, she said.

Children usually start at about age 8 in a track to become professional dancers. "They weed themselves out," so the ones with the most talent, passion and drive continue. Even those who drop out can come away with discipline and an appreciation for the art.

"You have to be willing to put yourself out there" in front of an audience and have a strong work ethic, she added. Dancers also have to learn to deal with heartbreak from not getting a role.

Most professional dancers belong to a company, which they audition to get into. Casting for roles is from within the company.

Watts attended the Virginia Ballet School outside of Washington, D.C., until she graduated from high school and got her first dancing job with the Southern Ballet Theater in Orlando. She also earned an associate's degree in the arts from Valencia Community College in Orlando.

After two years, she went to work for Disney World, performing in costume as a princess and as a dancer in parades and shows for four years. "It's not classical ballet; I was up there shakin' it with the rest of them."

She auditioned for the Georgia Ballet because of the reputations of the artistic director and ballet master. She is in her sixth season with the company.

While here, she has danced lead roles in "Sleeping Beauty" and "The Firebird," as well as a pas de deux with Mazon by choreographer John Neumeier.

- By Karl W. Ritzler, for ajcjobs. Got an interesting job that you love? E-mail your story to jobseditor@ajc.com.