The Nutcracker Ballet Theatre Company

Audition Schedule 2007

Sunday April 1, 2007

 AUDITION LOCATION – Masonic Temple, 927 Sixth Street, Port Huron

Advanced registration is recommended.  If you have not registered in advance, please arrive one hour prior to your audition time to register.  Dancers under the age of 18 must have the signature of a parent or guardian in order to audition.

12:00 – 12:30 p.m.          Baby Dolls & Gum Drops          Girls & Boys, 3-6 years old.
                                                                                                         must  be able to separate
                                                                                                           from  parent and sit quietly
                                                                                                   for a period of time.  Gum Drop
                                                                                                   candidates will will be asked to
                                                                                                                               do a cartwheel.

12:30 – 1:00 p.m.             Gymnasts (Acrobats)                 Must have completed 3 or
                                                                                                            more  years of training.

1:00 – 2:30 p.m.               Ballet Parts                                  Ages 7 and up.  1 to 3 years
                                                                                         of ballet training is  recommended.

2:30 – 3:00 p.m.                Boys Parts                                   Ages 7 – 14.  Some dance
                                                                                                       training is recommended.

3:00 – 3:30 p.m.                 Russian                                       Ages 10 and up.  3 years of
                                                                                                     ballet training is required.

3:30 – 4:00 p.m.                 Spanish                                       Ages 12 and up.  3 years of
                                                                                                        dance training is required.

4:00 – 5:00 p.m.                 Pointe Parts                                1 - 3 years of pointe training.

5:00 – 6:00 p.m.               Pointe Parts (Advanced)                    4 or more years of pointe
                                                                                                               training.   *Some dancers
                                                                                                             will be asked to stay for
                                                                                                                        partnering auditions.

5:30 - 6:30 p.m.                  Male Dancers                             2 or more years of dance
                                                                                                      training and/or experience
                                                                                                                       is recommended.

PLEASE NOTE

Performance dates are December 7^th, 8^th, and 9^th, 2007.  Attendance at all rehearsals and dress rehearsals is mandatory.  You must be available for blocking and dress rehearsals the week prior to the production.

 

Your completed audition registration forms may be mailed to:

THE NUTCRACKER BALLET THEATRE

P.O. BOX 610253, PORT HURON, MI  48061-0253

TELEPHONE:  810 824-8044

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Our dancers audition in the spring. Rehearsals begin as soon as roles are cast and continue through summer and fall right up to our performances at the McMorran Auditorium in December. We cast 90 to 150 roles. We are very proud of our productions and of the interest and enthusiasm the community has shown for "The Nutcracker."

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Each year we bring in a professional student couple to dance the Grand pas de Deux. We encourage them to attend our cast reception which follows the Sunday matinee and to visit with the students throughout their stay with us. It is such an incentive for the students to see excellence. We have had dancers from Ohio, Michigan, Tennessee, New York, and Canada.

The Nutcracker Ballet Theatre Company, a 501 (c) (3)  not for profit company,  was formed for the sole purpose of producing this wonderful family tradition in Port Huron. We are a grass roots organization using students and professional dancers from all over southeastern Michigan and Ontario. It took us more than a year to prepare for our first production (1990) and we have successfully presented "The Nutcracker" Ballet every December since.

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Our first year, we performed twice and sold out both performances. the theatre is not large, 1169 seats, but we were quite proud to "fill the house" twice. We then added another show and are currently up to four performances.

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       Please click here to see pictures from the 1998 performance

The Nutcracker
Music by: Peter Llyich Tchaikovsky
Based on the story by: E.T. Hoffman
........Original Choreography by: Marius Petipa

    

Prologue and Act 1:

As the ballet begins, Clara, Fritz, and their parents are finishing preparations for their annual Christmas party for family and friends. Families are arriving as we see Clara's godfather, Drosselmeyer, putting the final touches to his magical gifts he has created for the party. Clara's Grandparents greet all the guests while the butler is overwhelmed with all the cloaks. Once all the guests have arrived, the children are called into the parlor to receive their gifts and to watch the lighting of the tree. All are dancing when Drosselmeyer makes his entrance. He presents his gifts of dolls that come to life to dance for the guests. All are amazed and delighted with his mysterious gifts. Clara is especially honored to receive a special gift her Uncle Drosselmeyer has brought for her, a Nutcracker Doll. Fritz becomes a bit jealous of Clara's gift and steals the Nutcracker from her and breaks it. Drosselmeyer magically creates another larger Nutcracker for Clara. All of the girls play with their dolls amidst the irritating interruptions from the boys. The adults dance one more time before collecting their sleepy children for the trip home. Clara and Fritz are taken off to bed but Clara awakens and comes back to the now darkened parlor to find her Nutcracker doll. As she falls asleep with her doll, the clock strikes twelve and her dream begins. The clock and toys in the room start to grow. Mischievous mice steal Clara's Nutcracker and toy soldiers march to her aid. A battle is brewing when suddenly the Nutcracker doll reappears alive and much bigger. The Mouse King arrives to lead the mice against the soldiers. Clara is terrified and finally knocks out the Mouse King wit her shoe just as he's about to hurt her Nutcracker. The Nutcracker is then transformed into a Prince and he invited Clara to visit his kingdom on the Land of Sweets. On their way, they pass through the Enchanted Forest, where Snow Fairies greet them. The Snow Queen and Snow Maidens swirl and dance around them. The Snow Queen and her Prince present Clara and the Nutcracker Prince with a sleigh to complete their journey to the Land of Sweets.

    

Act II:

This act begins with Pages preparing to herald the arrival of their Prince. The Bakers also present the treats to the Sugar Plum Fairy for her approval. The honored guests, Clara and the Prince, are greeted by the Head Page. They are presented to the Sugar Plum Fairy and her court and Clara is crowned. Then the Prince tells the story of how Clara saved his life. The feast prepared in Clara's honor begins as Clara is crowned honorary Princess of the Land of Sweets. Dances from different countries representing sweets are presented for Clara's entertainment. She sees a Spanish Dance (chocolate), Arabian Dance (coffee), and a Chinese Dance (tea). There is Russian Dance (trepak) and the Dance of the Mirlitrons (marzipan). A lady wearing a huge skirt enters with acrobats (bonbons and gum drops) tumbling and rolling about. Then the lovely Waltz of the Flowers is danced by the flowers of the Kingdom representing frosting flowers for Christmas cakes. Finally the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Nutcracker Prince dance the Grand de Deux (great dance for two) for Clara. Afterward, all the sweets join together in a last waltz as the sleigh arrives to take Clara home.; As she leaves she wonders if she was only dreaming after all.