Open auditions will be held
SUNDAY, AUGUST 23
BALLET DES MOINES
655 Walnut st, suite 120
des moines, ia 50309
Join us for Des Moines' only professional production of The Nutcracker, taking place at the beautiful historic Hoyt Sherman Place, December 10-13.
Whether this is your tiny dancer's first stage performance or you have a budding Fritz or Clara at home, dancers in this production will rehearse and train alongside BDM's professional dancers and be part of a quintessential holiday tradition.
AUDITION
SCHEDULE
Ages 5 and 6
9:30 am Registration
10:00-10:30 Audition
Ages 7 and 8
10:00 am Registration
10:30-11:15 am Audition
Ages 9 and 10
11:00 am Registration
11:30-12:30 pm Audition
LUNCH BREAK 12:30-1:15 pm
Ages 11 and 12*
1:00 pm Registration
1:30-2:45 pm Audition
Ages 13 and up*
2:30 pm Registration
3:00-4:30 pm Audition
*The 11+ age group will have a pointe section at the end, however if you aren’t on pointe then it is okay to do this part of the audition on flat.
about the audition
Audition Dress Code and Required Materials
Female identifying dancers: please wear your hair in a ballet bun, a solid color leotard, ballet tights, and pink ballet shoes. The audition will take place in flat shoes, but if you dance on pointe, please bring your pointe shoes in the event we do a pointe section at the end of your audition.
Male identifying dancers: please wear a white t-shirt, black shorts or ballet tights and black ballet shoes.
Non-binary dancers may wear whichever attire they feel more comfortable in.
All dancers are required to bring a headshot, no larger than 4×6 (this photo will not be returned). This does not need to be a professional photograph, but should provide an appropriate image of your child.
Please email erin@balletdesmoines.org if you are unable to attend our audition and are interested in participating.
REGISTER NOW
Frequently Asked Questions
-
If candidates are unable to attend the scheduled auditions, alternate audition options are sometimes available. Please email erin@balletdesmoines.org if you are unable to attend our audition and are interested in participating.
-
Unfortunately, we ask that dancers are 5 years of age at the time of auditions.
-
Our Nutcracker Rehearsal Director has created choreography for dancers of all levels. This choreography does not necessarily represent the actual role you/your child is being considered for within the Nutcracker production.
-
Yes. However, if your costume includes colored tights or shoes (other than black, white, or pink), BDM’s wardrobe department will coordinate the dying process.
-
It is the responsibility of each student to ensure rehearsals leading up to The Nutcracker productions are a priority. We allow a maximum of 1 rehearsal to be missed but strongly encourage you to be at all scheduled rehearsals. Should dancers miss more than one rehearsal they may be taken out of the production. Please discuss your availability and/or needs as early as they arise with our Nutcracker Rehearsal Director, Erin Arndorfer. She can be reached at erin@balletdesmoines.org.
-
If selected, the number of performances is dependent on the number of dancers auditioning and dancer availability/role chosen. In our Des Moines cast most dancers will be in three of the six performances (occasionally dancers may be asked to do all six performances).
-
All roles are loved equally by our audiences, however we understand that you may have had something else in mind. The professional staff at Ballet Des Moines provides strategic thought to ensuring the hundreds of dancers in The Nutcracker are placed in appropriate roles for their skill level. We do not allow for roles to be switched upon casting.
-
The Nutcracker will take place December 10-13 at Hoyt Sherman Place.
Still have questions? Please contact our Nutcracker Rehearsal Director Erin Arndorfer at erin@balletdesmoines.org.