Bartlesville Civic Ballet

The Nutcracker

The Bartlesville Civic Ballet holds an annual Nutcracker production every December, providing BCB students and other local dancers an opportunity to perform in a professional-level ballet. Different guest artists are hired each year to dance the leading roles. This gives students the chance to meet and interact with dancers from well-respected and prestigious dance companies. BCB welcomes dancers from any studio or academy to participate in The Nutcracker.

Nutcracker 2024 performances will be held Saturday, December 21st and Sunday, December 22nd.

 

Direction & Casting

The 2024 Nutcracker will be led by our Artistic Director, Melissa Zervas Hahne, with the coaching assistance of répétiteurs Majic Iacono, Mary Cone, and Elle Denyer. We will continue to employ our unique choreography created by Mr. Leo Ahonen and the costumes designed and hand-crafted by his wife, Soili Arvola, who serves as Artistic Advisor and procures guest artists for the leading roles.

 

Eligibility & Auditions

The Bartlesville Civic Ballet holds an annual Nutcracker production every December, providing BCB students and other local dancers an opportunity to perform in a professional-level ballet. Different guest artists are hired each year to dance the leading roles. This gives students the chance to meet and interact with dancers from well-respected and prestigious dance companies. BCB welcomes dancers from any studio or academy to participate in The Nutcracker.

  • Dancers should arrive 15 minutes early to auditions to warm up and sign in. 
  • Auditions are required for dancers ages 6 and up to Advanced Ballet Levels. All dancers should complete the online Nutcracker Registration & Contract by Friday, August 23rd. 
  • Female dancers should attend audtions dress in pink tights, a solid leotard, hair neatly in a bun, and appropriate dance shoes.
  • Male dancers should attend auditions in a white t-shirt, black pants and black ballet shoes.
  • No dancer, who has agreed to the contractual requirements, will be cut from the audition. All audition participants will receive a role in the upcoming production. 
  • If you attend the audition, it is understood that you are committed to performing in the production prior to casting decisions. Dancers who would consider dropping out of the production if they do not receive a desired part should not attend the audition. 
  • Casting announcements will be sent via email.

Dancers ages 6+ are now required to take at least one ballet class per week at the BCB Academy as well as provide proof that the alternate studio owner/dance teacher is aware you are participating in our show and required to take a class with us. Please list the name of the dancer's studio and see addendum in the BCB Handbook.

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Audition times are as follows:

  For Non-Pointe Dancers (ages 6+)  -   August 23, 2024 4:30 - 5:30 PM 

                          For Pointe Dancers  -   August 23, 2024 5:30 - 6:30 PM

**Rehearsals will begin the weekend of August 24th for ALL dancers ages 6 and up.**

 

                                                    Nutcracker Orientation for Parents will be held on August 23, 2024 from 4:30pm to 5:30pm at the Bartlesville Public Library.                                                    **ALL participating families should plan to attend, including those not required to audition**

 

About the Roles 

Auditions are for general roles in the production. There are many different general roles so some dancers may be asked to fill multiple roles.

Baby Angels and Baby Mice are roles reserved for dancers who are age 3 through 2nd grade. Auditions are not required for those under age 6, but a registration form must be submitted in order to participate. Dancers in these roles must be potty-trained and able to dress themselves with limited assistance. Also, these dancers must be able to exhibit self-control and patience while waiting to go on stage. Parents are not allowed in the studio during rehearsals at this time, please consider carefully whether your child is able to handle being away from you for an extended amount of time before signing up for a spot. Spots are not guaranteed in the event that too many children sign up, nor is a child given the choice of being an angel versus a mouse. Assignments will be based on costume sizing and their ability to execute the choreography. Assignments may change during rehearsal or during performances in the event there are missing dancers. 

 

 Casting 

All casting decisions are made by the Artistic Director and are based on a dancer's technique, performance ability, and maturity level. Another major factor that plays a part in casting is costume sizing/availability. All casting decisions are FINAL. No negotiations or requests for different roles will be considered. Casting decisions will be made available the same Friday as auditions.

 

Nutcracker Production Fee

  • A flat production fee of $125 is charged for each dancer. This covers all rehearsal time, custom made costumes, and access to professional photographs of the performance. Due by September 15th.

  • Baby mice and baby angels will have a production fee of $75. Due by November 1st.

  • Students are required to provide their own personal supplies including shoes, tights, and undergarments for their costumes.

 

Costume Requirements

BCB will provide all costumes for dancers who participate in The Nutcracker. This includes the outfit, hairpieces, sleeve puffs, sashes/belts, and other accessories that go along with the costume. However, in order to maintain the health and safety of everyone involved, each dancer will be responsible for purchasing their own tights, shoes and undergarments. The required items that a dancer will need to buy will vary based on the role(s) they are cast in. More information regarding what needs to be bought will be communicated in a separate document and/or meeting.

 

Rehearsals & Absences

Performing in The Nutcracker is an important commitment which requires dancers to attend weekly rehearsals on Saturdays, and Sundays starting in September. Dancers are expected to be on time and attend ALL scheduled rehearsals. After TWO absences, a dancer may be removed from the role. Absences related to family or medical emergencies should be communicated to BCB as soon as possible and will NOT be counted toward a dancer's two absence total.

 

Family Volunteer Commitment

Providing a safe and quality performance requires the participation of at least one adult per family for the following times. 

  1. Sunday Load-In or Load-Out: Commit to up to three hours on Sunday, December 15, or Sunday, December 22, to support the set-up or taking down of scenery and production equipment at The Center. If unable to participate, there is a $100 fee so that we can hire a replacement to serve in your stead. 

  2. Rehearsal & Dress Rehearsal: Attend the rehearsals for Wednesday and Friday, or Tuesday and Thursday rehearsals of Tech Week to learn backstage roles for performance night.

  3. Performance Night Volunteer: Serve in an assigned backstage role for the full length of the call time and performance on either Saturday, December 21 or Sunday, December 22. If unable to serve backstage, there is a $100 fee for each night so that we can hire a replacement to serve in your stead.

 

Key Dates

            Please review the following key dates and ensure you do not have any conflicts before committing to participating in the Winter Performance. You can subscribe to   our Google Calendar to see the full schedule.

  • August 23 -  Auditions: 4:30-5:30 PM (Non-Pointe) and 5:30-6:30 PM (Pointe).  

  • August 24-25 - Choreography: 

    • Party Girls & Boys: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM on Saturday, Aug 24.

    • Pulcinellas: 12:00-1:00 PM on Saturday, Aug 24.

    • Warm up for Senior Company: 12:30-1:00 PM on Sunday, Aug 25.

    • Snow Corps: 1:00-2:30 PM on Sunday, Aug 25.

    • Flower Corps: 2:30-4:00 PM on Sunday, Aug 25.

  • Saturday & Sunday Rehearsals beginning August 24: All dancers should be prepared to have rehearsal every Saturday and Sunday afternoon from August 24 to December 14 with the exception of Labor Day weekend on August 31, Dracula performances October 12-13, Fall break weekend on October 19-20, and Thanksgiving break on November  30 - December 1. Miss Melissa will oversee mandatory rehearsals on August 24-25,  Sept 27-29, Oct 12, and Nov 15-18.

  • September 15 - $125 Nutcracker Production Fee Due

  • School Year Evening Rehearsals: Beginning October 15, dancers will rehearse on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and some Friday evenings.  

  • November 1 - $75 Nutcracker Production Fee (Baby Angels & Baby Mice only.)

  • December 16 - 20 -  Production Week Rehearsals: Production week technical and dress rehearsals will take place in the evenings between 5:00-9:30 PM.  

  • December 21 & 22 - Performance

Have additional questions? Please email us at bartlesvillecivicballet@gmail.com

                                                                           For information about purchasing tickets, go to the PERFORMANCES tab on this website.                                                                                                                                                         Tickets can be purchased through the Bartlesville Community Center (The Center).