For the first time, a young black dancer is playing the lead in the New York City Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker.”

Charlotte Nebres, an 11-year-old student at the School of American Ballet, is breaking barriers as Marie, the young heroine of “George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker.” It’s a milestone for the production, which dates to 1954.

The significance isn’t lost on the Nebres family. Charlotte’s mother, Danielle Nebres, danced growing up. Mrs. Nebres’ family is from Trinidad and her husband’s family is from the Philippines.

Mrs. Nebres said when she told Charlotte she would be the first black Marie in the production, her daughter responded, “Wow. That seems a little late.”

Even though she was just 6 at the time, Charlotte remembers seeing Misty Copeland, the first female African-American principal at the American Ballet Theater.

“I saw her perform and she was just so inspiring and so beautiful,” Charlotte said. “When I saw someone who looked like me onstage, I thought, ‘That’s amazing.’ She was representing me and all the people like me.”

Charlotte will be joined in “The Nutcracker” by a diverse group of young leads. The roles of the children are always double cast. Tanner Quirk, the 13-year- old who will play Charlotte’s Prince, is of Chinese descent, while Sophia Thomopoulos, 12, who also will play Marie, is of Korean and Greek descent, and her Prince, played by Kai Misra-Stone, 11, is of South Asian descent.