A touring production of Pytor Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” will return to Tysons this winter, and it’s inviting local kids and teens to take part.
Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet will hold auditions tomorrow (Thursday) for dancers aged 6 to 17 who would like to participate in its upcoming shows at Capital One Hall on Dec. 1.
Hopeful dancers will have to hit the road, though, to get their shot at performing alongside Clara and her Nutcracker Prince. The auditions will be hosted by the Morgan Crisp Dance Company at its studio in Spotsylvania (9106 Old Battlefield Blvd, Suite 108).
Auditions will start at 6 p.m. Interested families can sign up through the production’s website.
“Auditions are hosted by the audition director, Sarah, company soloist, who will also direct the first rehearsals,” the ballet said in a media advisory. “…Following the audition, the audition directors will be conducting an initial rehearsal with the selected dancers.”
Produced by Talmi Entertainment, Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet features 75 dancers from around the world, with Japanese ballerina Ren Morioka starring as Clara in this year’s show, which will have new choreography by Viktor Davydiuk.
The show visited Capital One Hall in Tysons last December as part of its 31st annual North American tour. For its 32nd year, the company is planning an 85-city tour with a stop at Strathmore in Bethesda, Maryland, on Nov. 30 prior to the Tysons shows.
Tickets for the Tysons performances, which will be at 1 and 5 p.m., are currently on sale through both the Nutcracker! and Capital One Hall websites.
More on the auditions from a Nutcracker! press release:
Over its 31-year history of touring North America, close to 100,000 children have performed with the international casts of Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet. The 2024 production stars principal dancers from the great opera houses of Ukraine and features 40 world-class artists from Japan, Italy, Turkey, and more providing young dancers with an exceptional opportunity for artistic growth and cross-cultural enrichment.
The audition is open to all area dance students. Children will be cast as Party Children, Mice, Little Snowflakes, Star Sprites, Star Maidens, and junior corps de ballet for the Act II Spanish, Chinese, French, Arabian, and Slavic variations. All costumes are provided by the company.
Following the initial rehearsal period with Sarah, the children’s cast will rehearse prior to the show for 6-8 weeks at Morgan Crisp Dance Company, in advance of the performance(s) at Capital One Hall. On the performance day, the children’s cast will be fitted for hand-sewn costumes designed by the highly acclaimed Arthur Oliver, followed by a dress rehearsal and the performance. There is no instruction fee charged, but NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet requires a minimum $50 Participation Fee from all youth dancers who are cast in the performance to help cover costume maintenance and other related administrative costs. Dancers can sign up to audition today at www.nutcracker.com/dance.
