this us royal deb the first time prince louis joins his family at christmas service while the king pays tribute to his late mother. i cannot thank you enough for the love and sympathy you have shown our whole family. and, later, it s a treasured holiday tradition. the nutcracker, performed by america s oldest ballet company with a new barrier-breaking star. as soon as you step on stage, it s kind of just, let s go. this is the cbs weekend news from new york with jericka duncan. good evening. it s been a white christmas for many americans with plenty of weather misery to go with it. it s a disaster in buffalo, new york. nationwide, the mammoth storm is blamed for at least 33 deaths and hundreds of thousands of power outages. it s also still causing nightmares for travelers on highways and airports. reporter: at airports across the country, more than 2,300 flights have been canceled with thousands more delayed. the airport in buffalo, new york, is still shut unti
trsured christmas tradition, the nutcracker. this one by the san francisco ballet. that company was first to debut the famous performance in the united states in 1944. and this year another san francisco first, the debut of the company s first black principal ballerina. in tonight s weekend journal, elizabeth koch of sister station kpix shares her story. nakisha fogo has been waiting for this moment all year. it s special because i have a little mantra that i say before. reporter: it s opening night of the nutcracker, and nakisha is the sugar plum fairy. as soon as you step on stage, it s a really nice feeling. reporter: but before the curtain opens, her preparation begins here at her apartment. and for a moment she looks like any other 20-something living in san francisco.
others to not believe those nonsense like that. reporter: last january, she almost had to hang up her point shoes for good after an injury nearly ended her career. former principal dancer ricardo bustamante is her rehearsal director. she can be strong, she ca be passionate. reporter: and that s exactly what nakisha wants to be known her, to the countless young dancers who see her when she takes the stage. and that s the cbs weekend news for this sunday. i m lilia luciano in new york. from all of us here at cbs news, we wish you a good night. merry christmas.
only nakisha makes her breakfast next to her point shoes. the job doesn t really finish once you leave the office. reporter: everything from her makeup to her clothes. this one is really pretty. this feels like a sugar plum. reporter: it s all about getting into character as the principal dancer for the san francisco ballet, she knows her impact reaches far beyond the stage. i did get a lot of messages from people saying that i m helping them or that i m inspiring to them. reporter: nakisha was born in sweden. her father is jamaican and her mother is white. both of them were dancers, and it was clear early on she had a gift. when i was younger, one of my teachers actually said to me that i would never become a professional ballerina because my hair was too frizzy. that s why i m happy that i can be someone that can inspire