The Nutcracker Auditions
Dayton Ballet is excited to announce auditions for children’s roles in its 2022 production of The Nutcracker, Dayton’s only Nutcracker production featuring a professional ballet company and live music by Dayton Philharmonic. Auditions will be held on Sunday, September 25th, 2022, from 1:00-5:00 pm (see time slots below according to child’s age). Auditions are held at Dayton Ballet’s downtown studios at 140 N. Main Street, 4th Floor, Dayton, OH.
- 1:00-2:15pm Ages 11-13 – Register here
- 2:15-3:30pm Ages 8-10 – Register here
- 3:30-5:00pm Ages 6-7 – Register here
Eligible Dancers for Auditions
- Dancers must be 5’6″ or shorter
- Dancers must be 6 to 13 years of age
There is no fee to audition, however there is a participation fee of $25 if accepted to perform in The Nutcracker. No résumé or photos are required at the audition.
Please contact Megan Forney with any questions.
What to Wear to Auditions
Any color leotard and tights for female-identifying dancers and white shirt with black pants/tights for male-identifying dancers. Hair needs to be secured and pulled back from the face.
Eligible dancers should arrive at Dayton Ballet dressed in dancewear, with shoes, warm-ups, and water. Please be mindful of our limited space and bring only what is necessary for the audition. We encourage students not to bring valuables to the audition.
Before the Audition
Auditions will be held from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm on Saturday, September 25, 2021, at Dayton Ballet’s downtown studios at 140 N. Main Street, 4th Floor, Dayton, OH.
Please check that you can be at all anticipated rehearsals by looking at the provided rehearsal schedule here. If you are not available for all performances and rehearsals, please do not audition. In addition to the rehearsals listed below, there will be mandatory technical and dress rehearsals on December 6, 7, and 8. Some of these rehearsals may require children to be absent from school.
Please arrive 30 minutes before your child’s group audition begins. Height and age requirements will be verified by Dayton Ballet staff at the door prior to admission to the audition.
Parents will drop their dancers off at the Dayton Ballet door, dancers will be measured and registered, and dancers will be given a number to wear. Dancers will then be escorted up the elevator to the studios by Dayton Ballet staff and volunteers. Dancers may stay the entire time slot or be released early. Parents are asked to remain accessible by phone and in close proximity in the event of an early pick-up time.
After the Audition
When auditions are over, dancers will be escorted back down to the lobby of the Victoria Theatre, where they can be picked up by authorized individuals.
Dancers will be notified of the status of their auditions via email by October 10th. Casting is at the sole discretion of the Dayton Ballet artistic team, and all casting decisions are final.
A mandatory parent/dancer meeting will take place on October 23, 2022, at 3:30 pm. Any dancers cast in The Nutcracker are required to attend this meeting with one parent or guardian.
Cast members must be available for rehearsals beginning October 29, 2022, through December 8, 2022. Additionally, cast members must be available for all The Nutcracker performance times.
Important Dates
There is a mandatory parent/dancer meeting for parents of accepted dancers on Saturday, October 23, 2022, at 3:30 pm.
There will be a $25 fee to cover administrative costs for children cast in the production. The $25 fee will be collected at this initial mandatory parents’ meeting.
The rehearsal schedule can be found here: Nutcracker 2022 Rehearsal Schedule
Note that no more than one excused absence for illness is permitted. All casting is final, and no changes can be made based on personal schedules.
Dayton Ballet’s The Nutcracker performances dates and times* are listed here:
Friday, December 9, 2022, at 7:30 pm
Saturday, December 10, 2022, at 2:30 pm and 7:30 pm
Sunday, December 11, 2022, at 2:30 pm
Friday, December 16, 2022, at 7:30 pm
Saturday, December 17, 2022, at 2:30 pm and 7:30 pm
Sunday, December 18, 2022, at 2:30 pm
Performances will alternate between two casts. Cast members should be available for all performances, even if they are not being called.