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New Haven Ballet to Hold Auditions for Nutcracker

New Haven Ballet will hold auditions for classically trained child ballet dancers to perform in this season’s production of The Nutcracker. To be eligible, dancers must be 4 years of age or older by the date of the audition, able to attend all of Production Week (Dec. 9 to 15), commit to regular ballet classes and weekly rehearsals, and be enrolled in Creative Ballet 1 or higher at New Haven Ballet.

Every student who auditions will be cast in a role and provided with an opportunity to perform one or more performances.

Children in the cast rehearse weekly beginning in October at New Haven Ballet’s studio located at 70 Audubon Street in downtown New Haven to prepare for the performance or performances in which they are cast. The Nutcracker will perform under the bright lights of the Shubert Theatre New Haven and feature guest stars from New York City Ballet.

Dancers must register for the audition, and advanced-level dancers are to bring pointe shoes. Younger dancers will be assessed on their technique and skill level, while more advanced dancers will be assessed via a technical ballet class where students work on barre exercises, center practice, and combinations en diagonale.

Artistic Director Lisa Kim Sanborn states, “Performing in The Nutcracker is one of the best childhood memories dancers recall for a lifetime. We are especially fortunate because New Haven Ballet has an amazing faculty who work with the children each week in rehearsals, and the Shubert Theatre is a spectacular performing venue. Once the dancers are on stage in costume and the music begins, everyone in the theater is mesmerized by the magic of the performance.”

New Haven Ballet will review with families how the process works, what to expect, where to find information, what is required to participate, and answer questions on Saturday, Sept. 9, with different times for students in different divisions.

For more information about audition and registration requirements, please visit newhavenballet.org or contact New Haven Ballet’s Administrator, Ruth Barker, at 203-782-9038 or administrator@newhavenballet.org.