WARNING: Spoilers ahead for In the Heights.
What’s the true meaning of Young Nina in the musical In the Heights? American musician Leslie Grace stars as the adult character and often imagines a more youthful version of herself in various Washington Heights settings. In the Heights’ Young Nina informs the audiences about the perspective of the older character; however, she also thematically links to Gregory Diaz IV’s Sonny de la Vega, along with various concepts within the community.
Two different versions of Young Nina appear throughout In the Heights. At the six-minute mark, Kevin Rosario (Jimmy Smits) briefly looks at younger photos of his daughter, who returns home to Washington Heights after dropping out of Stanford University. During Grace’s solo musical number “Breathe,” her character reflects about her childhood, with Ariana Greenblatt briefly appearing as Young Nina while dancing in the streets. Moments later, another version of Young Nina (portrayed by Ariana S. Gomez) appears during an apartment sequence as adult Nina sings about her study habits as a youth. “Breathe” concludes with Greenblatt’s Young Nina dancing happily down the street, and she later appears at the 58-minute mark during In the Heights as Grace’s grown-up character thinks about her purpose in Washington Heights.
Young Nina initially functions as a reminder of the idealized past. When Grace’s protagonist returns home out of necessity, she views herself as a failure after leaving Stanford. Incidentally, Adult Nina struggles to fully embrace Washington Heights, as her old neighborhood constantly reminds her of unrealized dreams. However, memories of Young Nina also reminds her to calm down while reacclimatizing to the neighborhood. Throughout In the Heights, Adult Nina tells anecdotes about negative collegiate experiences, and how she was judged because of her ethnicity. In the Heights’ Adult Nina has been hardened by her life experiences, and even feels somewhat resentful of older family members who thrived within their community and never had to experience what she endured at Stanford. When Grace’s character reconnects with the undocumented teenager Sonny (who has the spirit of Young Nina), she reaches a life epiphany about her purpose, which allows her to plan about the future rather than musing about the past.
![In The Heights: What The Young Nina Means](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/In-The-Heights-Sonny-Nina.jpg)
Young Nina represents an idealized version of the past but also reminds Grace’s character of her best qualities as an individual. Adult Nina knows that she’s always been supported by her community, and once channeled that positive energy while pursuing her academic goals. She receives clarity during In the Heights by applying lessons learned from her father and Abuela Claudia (Olga Merediz) to her friendship with Sonny de la Vega, a boy who understands that the odds are against him. Much like Young Nina though, Sonny remains hopeful and understands that his community will take care of him the best they can. But is that enough? Adult Nina envisions a brighter future for the boy — which thematically links to Young Nina’s optimism — and remembers Abuela’s advice by “inserting dignity in small ways.”
Ultimately, Young Nina is symbolic of the energy that allows Washington Heights to thrive. In the Heights’ Adult Nina is indeed her own person, a woman with the smarts and drive to create positive change in her community, but she also understands the value of looking after her extended family and assuming a specific role. As a result, Nina resolves the internal conflict associated with her ego, then re-focuses that energy to Sonny and the community as a whole. In the Heights’ Young Nina represents all the best traits of dreamers who refuse to be complacent.