OPEN AUDITION: The Nutcracker, with Westchester Ballet Company

** MEDIA ALERT ** MEDIA ALERT ** MEDIA ALERT **

WESTCHESTER BALLET COMPANY ANNOUNCES ITS FALL 2023 AUDITION SCHEDULE
The Ballet Company Welcomes Young Dancers, Ages 6 -18, to Audition for The Nutcracker

September 1, 2023 – Westchester Ballet Company will hold its fall auditions at two locations this year, one for young beginners, ages 6-14, in Tarrytown on Saturday, September 23, and another for more advanced dancers, ages 11-18, in Ossining on Sunday, on September 24. The youngest set of dancers will be auditioning for roles that include Party Children, Mice, Pages, and Clowns. More advanced dancers with pointe training will audition for roles that include Clara, Dew Drop, Chocolate from Spain, Tea from China, Snowflakes, and Flowers.

Dancers must pre-register for auditions at westchesterballet.org by September 16, 2023. Auditions are open to all dancers, ages 6 -18, no matter where they receive their dance instruction, as long as they meet the Company’s training requirements. Dancers invited into the Company are placed in a Company rank and offered roles in the 2023 Nutcracker. Company dancers are then eligible to audition for other performance opportunities with the Company during the 2023-24 season. Dancers auditioning for the Company for the first time are also eligible for “spot” scholarships that are determined on audition day. These awards can be used towards participation fees or ballet lessons at the dance school of the recipient’s choosing.

Amy Harte, President, Westchester Ballet Company said, “Being a part of a ballet company is a very special experience for young dancers. Placement in the Company brings huge benefits to them, no matter their level at the point of the fall audition. By the end of December, they will have accrued a multitude of dance and life skills from twelve solid weeks of Nutcracker rehearsals. Westchester Ballet Company’s Nutcracker rivals any professional New York City production and the children who perform with us never forget the thrill and accomplishment of taking the stage in front of the thousands of audience members who attend our Nutcracker at Lehman Center for the Performing Arts. Additional performance opportunities in the Spring allow our dancers to advance their technical and artistic training. Westchester Ballet Company is a true resource for dancers who are serious about their training and excited about taking what they learn in the dance studio onto the stage. Year after year we see the difference Company membership makes for kids in their technical and artistic development. Company dancers exhibit a level of confidence, resilience, and proficiency that puts them ahead of their counterparts. Not all dancers who audition will necessarily be invited into the Company, but even so, I always encourage parents to give their child the opportunity to try. Dancers might need to train for another year before they are ready. There is much to be learned from auditioning, even when the outcome is not what a child wanted or expected.”

Westchester Ballet Company is made up of approximately 100 young dancers from in and around Westchester. Westchester Ballet Company Nutcracker has been a family tradition in Westchester for more than 70 years. The Company is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Its mission centers on the belief that communal arts experiences are essential—and that by providing dance education and performance experiences for our young dancers and affordable access for our audience members, we are helping to strengthen our shared community. Additionally, Westchester Ballet Company partners with other nonprofit organizations serving vulnerable and under-resourced individuals and groups in the community to provide low cost/no cost access to training and performances.

For more information Contact: Amy.Harte@westchesterballet.org; (646) 498-4274 https://www.westchesterballet.org/