Congratulations to all our dancers taking part in our annual Nutcracker ballet production! We're filled with anticipation and excitement as we embark on this new season. This guide serves as your comprehensive reference throughout the season. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact us either in person or by phone.
Contents
Performance Dates & Tickets
Performance Dates
We have three distinct casts (Cast A, B & C) for our three performances.
Cast A: Friday, November 24 at 6:30 pm
Cast B: Saturday, November 25 at 6:30 pm
Cast C: Sunday, November 26 at 6:30 pm
Our youngest dancers are conveniently cast in a single show, whereas our Company Dancers and more advanced-level dancers might feature in multiple casts. ***IMPORTANT: Please consult the cast list and ensure you know which cast(s) your dancer will be performing in.
>>>VIEW THE CAST LIST<<<
Tickets (On sale October 26 at 10am)
Tickets for the Nutcracker Ballet will go on sale towards the end of October. Tickets are purchased directly from the Lyric Theatre website: https://www.lyrictheatre.com/
Tickets go on sale: Thursday, October 26th @ 10:00 AM for all casts
Our shows do sell out, so please purchase your tickets as early as possible.
Contract & Fees
Nutcracker Performance Fees (Due October 1st)
These fees cover your costume rental and rehearsal time.
- $75 for one dance
- $125 for multiple dances
Nutcracker Contract (Due September 10th)
Please read this agreement completely and return signed with dancer and the parent’s signature no later than Saturday, September 9th, 2023.
Rehearsals
Rehearsal attendance is mandatory and very necessary. Repetition is crucial to a child’s comfort level, which ensures great performances. Please do not accept your role without knowing you can commit to your child’s attendance at all rehearsals.
- Absence from rehearsals will be excused for the following reasons: illness, religious education, band or any important school-related function. Please supply a note to the front desk in advance if you will miss rehearsal.
- Any dancer who misses more than TWO rehearsals will be reevaluated for performance. This can include but is not limited to having them reassigned to another part or dismissed from the Nutcracker performance.
Saturday Rehearsals
Weekly rehearsal schedules are posted on the website the Sunday before and vary week by week.
https://danceacademyofstuart.com/rehearsal-schedule/
- Rehearsal times for Nutcracker will be posted on the website at www.danceacademystuart.com each Sunday evening. It is the parent’s responsibility to check said schedule and have their dancer to rehearsals on time.
- Nutcracker rehearsals are every Saturday between 12 pm and 6 pm starting Labor Day weekend.
- Your dancer may not be scheduled for rehearsal every Saturday.
- Company members may also be scheduled on additional days.
- Dress appropriately for all rehearsals and classes. Proper leotard, tights and hair in a bun required for all rehearsals and classes. No street apparel, hair must be in a bun for all studio rehearsals. Leg warmers allowed.
Costume Fittings: Every week, we will also have scheduled costume fittings. It is mandatory that dancers arrive at their scheduled day and time. We will schedule their fitting either before or after their designated rehearsal time. If they can not make it, please let us and give us their leotard size so we can assign them a costume.
Full-Cast In-Studio Rehearsals - November 11 & 18
We will have 2 mandatory full-cast rehearsals. These are not dress-rehearsals. Dancers should arrive in the normal rehearsal clothes.
Saturday, November 11 - Entire ACT 1 ONLY
- Cast A - 1:15pm - 2:15pm
- Cast B - 2:15pm - 3:15pm
- Cast C - 3:15pm - 4:15pm
Saturday, November 18 - ENTIRE ACT 2 ONLY
- Cast A - 1:15pm - 2:45pm
- Cast B - 2:45pm - 4:15pm
- Cast C - 4:15pm - 5:45pm
As we approach these dates, we may adjust these times slightly. Please watch for updates.
Dress Rehearsals & Performance Days - November 24, 25, 26
Before each performance, there will be a dress rehearsal at the Lyric Theatre on November 24, 25, 26 starting promptly at 1:30pm.
12:00 PM: COMPANY MEMBER ARRIVE
1:00 PM: ALL DANCERS ARRIVE
Dancers should arrive wearing a nude camisole leotard, with their stage-ready hair & make-up.
1:30 PM: DRESS REHEARSAL BEGINS
This is a closed rehearsal. No parents (except for volunteers) are allowed backstage or in the theatre during the dress rehearsal.
4:15: DINNER BREAK (approximately)
Dancers will be released approximately between 4:15 pm and 4:30 pm. To save time, bring the food with you. Lines at the downtown restaurant will be long. Level I - III students need a parent or guardian to check them out. Level IV-VI students can leave without a parent or guardian but must stay in groups of "3" or more.
5:00 PM: COMPANY ARRIVES
5:30 PM: ALL DANCERS ARRIVE
Dancers should arrive wearing a nude leotard, with their stage-ready hair & make-up.
6:30 PM: SHOWTIME!!!
Following the show, parents will be instructed to pick-up their dancers at the stage door on Flagler Ave.
DROP-OFF & PICK-UP ENTRANCE:
Parents will need to drop their dancers off at the stage door on the day of their performance. The stage entrance is located on Flagler Ave, just north of the theatre entrance. Our staff will check them in. (Parents are not allowed to enter backstage with their child.) THESE ARE CLOSED REHEARSALS.
***Please Note: For the security of your child, the Lyric Theatre locks the backstage door once the performance begins. Our staff will not answer the door, and dancers will not be released to leave backstage until AFTER their final bow. Please do not ask any of our staff to allow your child to leave once their class has performed. Sit back and enjoy the show.
What to bring & not bring with you
Dancers are allowed to bring backstage:
- Water Bottle
- Dry snacks such as pretzels or crackers
- Cell phone
Please do not bring messy snacks like chocolate or any colored drinks.
Costume, Hair & Make-Up
Costume
DAS provides costumes and headpieces for the Nutcracker. These costumes are kept backstage and are not allowed out of the theatre.
Each dancer is responsible for purchasing the following items:
Female Dancers
Male Dancers
- Male dancers will be given a list of what they will need based on their part.
Other things to keep in mind
- Please ensure tights have no runs or holes and ballet slippers are clean.
- Underwear should be nude and not have any prints.
Certain parts may require additional items or different shoes. (For example, party girls need a curly ponytail extension. We will contact individual dancers with what specifically they need.)
Jewelry
Dancers should not wear any jewelry except simple stud earrings.
Hair
Female Dancers
- Bun: A bun means the hair is tight to the head with no bangs or loose, wispy hairs falling around the neck or face. The bun must be secure, flat, and larger than the size of your palm. Do not use a donut or buns made out of braids. Buns should be at the back of the head (not on top) to make room for headpieces.
- Party Girls & Party Parents must purchase and wear a drawstring curly ponytail hairpiece that will attach easily over bun.
Male Dancers
- Hair should be off the face and styled neat and tidy. Hair spray and/or gel should be used as needed.
Makeup
Parents know their kids better than anyone else does, so they may be better equipped to gauge what their little ones can handle when for the patience and cautiousness that comes with a full face of makeup.
Typically less is more when it comes to stage makeup for kids but it is important to apply some makeup to make dancers more visible to the audience and the overall look of the performance.
Female Makeup should include
- Foundation
- Blush
- Eye Shadow
- Eyeliner
- Mascara
- Lipstick (Please do not send dancers under 10 years old with lipstick)
Fingernails: Only natural color nails. No long acrylic nails or French manicures.
Nutcracker Photos with EPS (October 19-22)
Once again, we are thrilled to have EPS back in the studio to take photos of your dancers. Having photos taken is optional but we encourage everyone to take advantage of capturing these precious memories. Information about registering for photos will arrive in a separate email.
Learn more about EPS: https://www.eps-photo.com/
Photography & Video Recording
Photography & any video recording of the Dance Academy of Stuart's performances is strictly prohibited. DVDs of the performance can be pre-purchased through Lightning Video at https://www.lightningvideos.com/to-order-dvds/dance-academy-of-stuart/. Lightning Video will also have a table out in the theatre lobby for your convenience.
December Tuition
The Dance Academy season goes from August to June. We will continue to have classes in December. Each ballet class will be working strictly on technique during this time. If you are on autopay, we will run your December tuition on Friday, December 1st. If you are not on auto-pay, please pay your December tuition no later than Friday, December 1st. If you are not planning on returning or are taking a break during December, tuition will still need to be paid by the 1st. You can attend make-up classes at any of our locations between now and June 2023.