GREAT RUSSIAN NUTCRACKER - National Tour Non Equity Auditions

American youth rehearse and dance with Russian pros

in Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker 1993-2012

Studio owner J Karl, "Comparable to working one-on-one with an Olympic athlete…the best of the best."

Svetlana Todinova                                   Olga Aru                                                 Natalia Miroshnyk                 

For high-resolution images: http://www.nutcracker.com/promo

Contact: Sally Michael Keyes sally@nutcracker.com  (413) 499-1733 x21

Moscow Ballet announces the 20^th annual casting call for student dancers from 50 North American cities to perform in the Great Russian Nutcracker.  Those selected will perform alongside acclaimed principals Alexandra Elagina, NY Times “Brimful with feeling,” and 10 time award-winning Olga Kifyak. The experience of working and performing with professional dancers is often a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for aspiring dancers. Cathy Mucci, owner of Dance Centre North in Syracuse area, was host studio during the first Great Russian Nutcracker tour in 1993 and has been host studio every year since. She says, “In Russia it is a very professional approach...children who study at their schools view ballet as their future.” Casting an average 50 children in 50 cities over the past 20 years, yields 50,000 valuable interactions for the next generation of dancers, which is a personal mission for Mary Talmi, Moscow Ballet’s North American co-producer.Children’s roles include Party Children, Mice, Angels, Butterflies, Snowflakes and more. Moscow Ballet’s Audition Directors are flown into each city in the fall to conduct auditions and to work one-on-one with students in rehearsals. Moscow Ballet soloists/Audition Directors for 2012 areSvetlana Todinova, Olga Aru and Nataliya Miroshnyk (bios below). 2012 auditions start in Regina, Canada August 20 and end in Ashland KY November 9. To find an audition city and to register go to www.nutcracker.com/auditions.

From the studios –In Motion Dance owner Jenny Karl says, "This [opportunity] would be comparable to working one-on-one with an Olympic athlete…you are working with the best of the best." Dancer/teacher Michelle Dawson of Pittsburgh shares, "Not only are you providing a fantastic opportunity for kids to perform alongside professionals…but to tackle what it means to be a performer, how you handle all of that." Allison, 15 years old, has danced since the age of 2 years at Gotta Dance in Somerville, NJ. Allison’s first experience with Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker was as a Snowflake and then as French Page.  Three years later, Allison was cast in the role of “Clara” in the national tour of The Radio City Christmas Spectacular for 8 weeks. Another former Gotta Dance student, Hillary-Marie Michael, choreographer, teacher, founder and director of Jersey Tap Fest, says, “From start to finish, including the audition process, rehearsals and the final show, Moscow Ballet provides young dancers, with an opportunity to experience a day in the life of a professional dancer. It is an excellent way for dancers to understand both the discipline and fun involved in a professional ballet production.” 

The Student Performance Program is underwritten by Moscow Ballet. It includes administration of the traveling soloists, transportation to and from Russia and in the US and Canada, soloists’ salary for audition and rehearsal work and some daily living expenses when not provided by a local host family. There is no fee to participating children for instruction or costumes. (Individual studios sometimes charge an administrative fee for Master Classes or auditions and rehearsal.) Partnerships with local dance studios are carefully developed by Mary Gianonne Talmi, co-producer of Moscow Ballet’s North American tours. Studio owners are pleased to offer their students personal exposure to the highly trained Russian dancers and to the performance experience. This is an especially unique opportunity for studios in regional markets. Talmi believes strongly in the benefit of regional development programs to American dance and is a pioneer in the movement started in the seventies. Early in Moscow Ballet’s North American touring history, Talmi developed programming for American children that provides cross cultural enrichment, expert classical ballet instruction, and professional performance opportunities. The continuum of experiences extends over a 6-month period; summer ballet workshops, school outreach programs, and auditions, rehearsals, and performance experiences in the Great Russian Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, Swan Lake, and Sleeping Beauty.