Now based in San Jose, the drag queen known as No One hails from a town near Sacramento, where she proudly became the first openly queer student at her high school.
No One credits theater for being her sanctuary while growing up. “Theatre has always been a place where I could be myself and feel safe among like-minded individuals going through the same soul searching,” she said.
Beginning this weekend, No One will be again part of a decades-old theatrical tradition in the South Bay: San Jose Dance Theatre’s annual performance of the Nutcracker ballet.
She auditioned last year for the role of Mother Cupcake and got the part. The character, guiding her “Cookies” across the stage, brings a playful drag flair to the ballet production. While No One incorporates ballet movements using her arms, her preparation mainly involves practicing the choreography she learned last year with the group of young dancers.
No One’s artistry and charisma has brought a fresh energy to San Jose Dance Theatre’s Nutcracker production, says SJDT Executive Director Elizabeth Sweeney. “This collaboration reflects our commitment to extending the joy of the arts to new audiences while staying true to the inclusive spirit we hope to foster,” Sweeney says.
“By celebrating the contributions of artists like No One, we continue to build on the legacy of our founders and the timeless message of The Nutcracker: that joy and magic are for everyone.”
SJDT’s Nutcracker runs Dec. 6–8 and 13–15, with the Dec. 13 evening performance designated as Nutcracker Family Pride Night. This celebration of culture and inclusivity begins with a pre-show meet and greet with No One.
Balancing the light-heartedness of drag with ballet’s disciplined grace is key for No One. “I adore this role because Mother Cupcake gets to break ballet’s traditional standards through drag and bring a levity and humor to this graceful art form,” she says. While No One’s character is very poised, her playful personality occasionally peeks through. “[Mother Cupcake] is a bit of a ham. She’s the ultimate dance mom—supportive and encouraging but only because she secretly wants to be the star.”
The look of the character leans heavily on drag traditions, including two-hour makeup sessions, but is amplified for a large production. “Since I can’t be as close to the audience, I have to go even bigger—even by drag standards. So my character’s facial expressions, and overall proportion, measures up to the stage. Her giant dress and giant personality—everything’s dialed up to an 11 to ensure my character looks larger than life.”
Performing for thousands of families and children over several weekends, she hopes her presence inspires others to embrace diversity in traditionally conservative spaces.
“Theatre has been an inclusive space for so many people and continues to be, regardless of their gender expression or sexuality. Ballet is the same way,” she says. “For those who have never been exposed to drag, or want to participate or learn ballet but weren’t sure if they were welcome, I’m proof that yes, it is possible.”
Although not a classically trained ballet dancer, the drag queen has an extensive background in theater and drag, officially embracing the latter in 2019 after falling in love with the classic form of drag as seen portrayed by RuPaul’s Drag Race star Bianca Del Rio.
No One describes herself as a self-taught queen, having gained her skills from online resources and books rather than a single drag mother. “Unfortunately, there’s not many mentors for this out there, but that’s just the reality of it,” she says—a shift partly due to the devastating impact of the AIDS crisis, which claimed many lives in the queer community: “The AIDs crisis in the ’90s took out an entire generation of queer people in our community. Of those who survived, from those I’ve spoken with, they are just trying to enjoy life after that horror.”
With the advent of social media and the web, today’s queens have unprecedented access to knowledge. “That lack of remaining trailblazers, by default, leaves us to learn on our own out of necessity,” she says. “But now, I can learn from 20 drag mothers online who choose to share their knowledge.”
As this self-taught method has fostered independence for many young drag artists, it has also led to innovation. “When you’re self-taught, you learn new ways to do things, like makeup, and it allows for innovation out of necessity,” No One explains.
The drag queen said she values the creative freedom given by San Jose Dance Theatre. “They allowed me to have creative control over the character and pay homage to my roots as a drag artist, while being respectful to the art form of ballet. It’s been a balancing act, ensuring that the performance doesn’t go too far into drag that the elegance ballet has is lost.”
As the curtain rises on her reprise of Mother Cupcake, No One carries forward a message of inclusion that has already extended beyond her role—one of her drag sisters has been cast as Mother Ginger in another Nutcracker production in the South Bay.
No One adds, “Drag was founded on being a conversation around social expectations on women, and it continues to be an incredible art form where we can use the tools how we choose—to be critical about the world we navigate, or to escape reality for a moment and enjoy the possibility of something different, something new or exciting.”
San Jose Dance Theatre’s Original San Jose Nutcracker will be performed Dec 6–8 and 13–15 at the Center for the Performing Arts, 255 S Almaden Blvd, San Jose. Tickets: $39.50–$115. sjdt.org
