Youth Dancers Shine Alongside International Artists!
The “Dance with Us” program exclusive to “NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet”, provides American ballet students with a rare opportunity to audition, rehearse, and perform alongside a professional, international touring ballet company in the Nutcracker production.
Through the ‘Dance with Us’ program of ‘NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet,’ the arts enrich over 75,000 American children and leave a lasting impact on their lives.
Youth Audition Requirements and Information
The youth cast is at the heart of NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet. Sign up your dancer now to audition and perform alongside our international ensemble. Our 32nd Anniversary Tour showcases talent from Ukraine, London, Italy, Kazakhstan, Japan, and more, promising an unforgettable experience. Join us on the grandest stage in your community this Christmas!
Auditions welcome student dancers aged 6-17, regardless of technical level. There’s a role suited for everyone, whether it’s as Party Children, Mice, Snowflakes, Snow Maidens, or Variations! Seize the opportunity to shine under the spotlight and sign up now!
Exclusive Program
This holiday season, NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet is touring over 80 cities nationwide. In collaboration with local dance studios, audition directors from across the world come together to cast the young talent that will grace the stage alongside professional international artists. Catch us performing from November through December, bringing the beloved holiday tradition to cities from coast to coast. To find your city visit: nutcracker.com/your-city
Dance with Us includes partnerships with Host Studios in each tour city, carefully developed by Mary Giannone Talmi, co-producer of Talmi Entertainment’s North American tours. NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet Audition Directors conduct auditions for children in every city. After selection, they rehearse with the chosen candidates for several days before leaving them in the care of the local Host Ballet Studio for further rehearsals – spanning 6-8 weeks leading up to the performance. Studio owners are delighted to provide students with personal exposure to highly trained international dancers and the invaluable experience of a professional performance.
History of Nutcracker! Partnership
Cathy Napolitano-Mucci, of Dance Center North in Syracuse NY, hosted auditions for the first Great Russian Nutcracker tour in 1993. She remarks,“I know from watching my students grow and advance since the very first Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet tour, that this is one of the most significant experiences a young dancer can have. It lifts them up and humbles them all at the same time.”
Talmi, a Juilliard School graduate, and pioneer of the regional dance movement, developed Dance with Us with the intent to bring this unique opportunity to students and studios in regional markets. The program is 100% underwritten by NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet, including administration, international and national transportation for international ballet dancers as well as their salaries and living expenses (when not provided by local host families). 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; this fee helps cover costumes, their maintenance, and other related administrative costs.
