2012 Nashville's Nutcracker
Youth Cast Audition FAQs

Nashville Ballet is excited to offer children throughout the community, middle Tennessee and beyond the opportunity to perform on stage alongside the professional dancers of Nashville Ballet.

What to expect at the audition?
Children will be taught a series of steps from various age appropriate Youth Cast roles. Children will be evaluated on their ability to learn and execute these steps. The atmosphere of our audition is light and fun, as we know the children are usually nervous. The steps they are required to execute are not difficult.

What is the appropriate audition attire and behavior?
Girls should plan to audition in a solid color leotard and pink tights, with hair securely in a bun. Boys may wear a t-shirt (not oversized) and shorts. Ballet slippers are preferred; however children who do not own ballet slippers may audition in sock-feet or another style of dance shoe. Dance sneakers should not be worn for the audition. Children auditioning should be quiet and attentive during the entire audition. NO chewing gum will be allowed.

Why are photographs now mandatory for my child to audition?
The photographs will be attached to your child's audition form to provide a quick reference point to help Nashville Ballet's artistic staff remember your child facially. The photograph does not have to be professional. If you do not have a photograph with you, the ballet will take a photograph of your child for an addition fee of $5.00. Every child must have a photograph to audition.

My child is 9 years old and will turn 10 two days after the audition. Which age group should she audition with?
Your child should audition within the age group he or she falls under on the day of the audition. Your child must register with their own age group's time slot.

How and when do we find out if my child has been cast?
All children will receive a letter of notification informing them of whether or not they received a role. Letters will be mailed this year on Friday, September 21st. Please allow time for arrival; if you have not received your letter by Wednesday, September 26th, please call then.

THE ROLES:

How many children will receive parts?
There are over 200 Youth Cast members each season.

What are the youth roles like?
Should your child receive a role in Nashville’s Nutcracker, they may find the part "easy”. They should take note that Nashville’s Nutcracker is a professional production and the difficult dancing is performed by the professional dancers of Nashville Ballet. However, most children find this experience fun, rewarding and unlike any other! The most important thing to remember is that your child will learn many things by being involved in a professional production, and will take many cherished memories with them.

REHEARSALS AND PERFORMANCES:

When do rehearsals begin and what is the schedule?
The rehearsals will begin the weekend of October 6th & 7th. Rehearsals continue for the next four Saturdays: October 13th, 20th and 27th, November 3rd. After Nov. 3rd, children cast in Act I will then rehearse on weekdays with the company. Children cast in Act II will have an additional rehearsal Sat. Nov. 10th, and then rehearse on weekdays with the company. Studio Rehearsals with Ballet company are always from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm, no earlier and no later. Not all of the youth cast roles or groups are called everyday of the week during these rehearsals. Studio rehearsals with the company will continue until the production goes to the theater. Starting December 3rd, all youth casts will move to the Tennessee Performing Arts Center for final rehearsals and performances.

How long do rehearsals last?
Rehearsals will last anywhere from 1 hour to 3 hours, depending on the role your child is cast in.

When are the performances of this years Nutcracker?
This year, Nashville's Nutcracker has 11 performances:

The final Nutcracker performance is Sunday December 23rd at 7:00pm. Please keep this in mind when making Holiday plans. *All youth cast members do not appear in every performance however, all youth cast members will perform both weekends.

What about Thanksgiving and are there any free weekends?
The Thanksgiving break will be Wednesday November 21st through Sunday November 25th. There will be rehearsals on Monday November 19th and Tuesday November 20th, please keep this in mind when making holiday plans. The weekend of December 1st is also a free weekend with no rehearsals.

How much of a time commitment will Nutcracker be for me and my child?
All rehearsals and performances are mandatory. There are no conflicts allowed and absences will result in dismissal from the production. ILLNESS IS THE ONLY ACCEPTABLE ABSENCE. Should your child receive a role, one parent will be required to attend a mandatory parent meeting on Friday September 28th or Saturday September 29th, at The Martin Center for Nashville Ballet, 3630 Redmon Street, Nashville, 37209. Your child cannot accept their role without a parent attending one of the mandatory meetings, parents can send a proxy to the meeting and children need not attend.

We are planning a family trip that would fall on the same day as a rehearsal or performance. Can my child still participate?
NO, If you have a family conflict (wedding, anniversary, reunion) with a Nutcracker rehearsal, you should consider NOT auditioning for the youth cast. If you do decide to audition, be prepared to arrange for your child to attend rehearsal. Remember, ILLNESS IS THE ONLY ALLOWABLE ABSENCE.

If you have any questions that were not answered above, please contact Amanda Nally by calling 615-297-2966 , extension 20, or by email at anally@nashvilleballet.com