Last year, my wife and I were invited to attend the opening night performance of THE NUTCRACKER by THE JOFFREY BALLET in Chicago. If I were to describe the show in one word, “magnificent” would be it, and for those wishing to let their children have a chance to be a part of this Chicago tradition, your chance has arrived. The folks at The Joffrey Ballet just sent over details on open auditions for this year’s production…
Official Announcement:
The Joffrey Ballet holds open auditions for the Children’s Cast of Robert Joffrey’s The Nutcracker at its downtown studios in Joffrey Tower, 10 E. Randolph Street, Sunday, September 14. All students in the greater Chicagoland area with dance experience are welcome to audition.
This annual audition is for all children, from any studio or school, interested in auditioning for the 27th annual production of The Nutcracker, whether or not they have participated in The Joffrey’s The Nutcracker in the past. The audition will be directed by artistic staff from The Joffrey Ballet, who will be looking for dancers between 4’ and 5’ tall and 9 to 14 years old.
All dancers need to bring a headshot or photo no larger than 4” x 6” and an audition form (available online through Joffrey.org/academy) with them on the day of the audition. The Nutcracker Children’s Cast roles are Party Girls & Boys, Polichinelles (Mother Ginger’s kids), Battle Mice, Soldiers, Mounted Mice, Snow Tree Angels and Dolls.
Audition Times Based on Dancer Criteria:
- Ages 9-10: Registration 1:15 – 2:15 pm, Audition 2:15 – 4:00 pm
- Ages 11-14: Registration 10:30 – 11:30 am, Audition 11:30 – 1:30 pm
Dancers should be prepared to stay until 4pm on the day of the audition.
Availability:
Dancers must be available for rehearsals in October, November and December. Rehearsals begin September 28 and take place at Joffrey Tower. Performances take place December 5-28 at the Auditorium Theatre (no performance December 25).
For more info, check out The Joffrey Ballet’s official website.
