Young dancer carries on as the Nutcracker Prince

He's rehearsing for the biggest role of his life - fulfilling the wish of his late mother that her son dance.

Yvonne Mora-Vega died three days after Thanksgiving after a lifetime of heart problems.

The 35-year-old mom's dying wish was that Deondre continue dancing, his father says.

Tomorrow, the shy but popular 9-year-old will take center stage for mom.

"He was mama's boy," says Deondre's dad, Arturo Vega Jr. "He wants to do it for her."

Deondre will play the role of Nutcracker Prince, a main character, in the "Baile de los Cascanueces" at Pima Community College's west campus. Cascanueces means nutcrackers in Spanish.

It is difficult for the fourth-grader to talk about his mom, but he nods when asked if he knows watching him dance made her happy.

"I'm trying to fill that gap now, with her guidance up there," his dad says. "We're just trying to get through this rough time."

Yvonne had the chance to see Deondre rehearse for a couple of months before she died.

"She was very excited that he was going to be the Nutcracker Prince," says Adriana Manrique, Deondre's godmother.

In Yvonne's obituary, the family wrote about her love of dance and asked for donations to Deondre's dance school in lieu of flowers.

Deondre's family has rallied around the boy. Along with the founders of Dancing in the Streets Arizona, which is staging Sunday's ballet, they get Deondre to practice three times a week. Some parents in the group have collected money for Deondre's family and his dancing tuition.

Deondre began dancing three years ago when his mother took him to a class. His godmother insisted they try it out, but they weren't told it was ballet. Deondre thought it was something else - hip-hop maybe.

"We got conned into doing it," his dad jokes. But it turned out to be just the thing for Deondre.

"I like being on stage," says the Safford Elementary School student.

He's been in several other performances, including "The Nutcracker," but this is Deondre's first time as the Nutcracker Prince.

Deondre has a lot of determination and passion for such a young age, says Joseph Rodgers, one of the dance school's founders.

"Compared to other 9-year-olds, he is golden," Rodgers says.

Everyone was surprised when Deondre decided to continue dancing after his mom died.

Dancing brings Deondre comfort, says Soleste Lupu, the school's co-founder.

"No matter what life throws at you, you go back to the ballet bar. You go back to that safe haven," she says. "It's sorta like meditation."

And it is what Deondre's mom wanted.

"We asked him if he still wanted to perform and he said, 'Yeah.'" Manrique says. "This was his decision."

If you go

• What: Baile de los Cascanueces, an adaptation of The Nutcracker Ballet, put on by Dancing in the Streets Arizona.

• Where: Pima Community College, Proscenium Theatre, 2202 W. Anklam Rd.

• When: Dec. 26, 1 and 6 p.m.

• Cost: $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Children 2 and under free.

• Information: 206-6986, 867-8489, 298-7738.

• Online: www.ditsaz.org

Contact Natalia Lopera 807-8029 or at nlopera@azstarnet.com