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
November 27-29, 2026
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.
Tickets (on sale about a month before shows)
Tickets are purchased directly from the Lyric Theatre website: https://www.lyrictheatre.com/
Our shows do sell out, so please purchase your tickets as early as possible.
***We cannot stress enough the importance of making sure that you purchase the CORRECT Nutcracker tickets. Lyric theatre will not reimburse your tickets if you purchase the wrong performance day & time.
Please call the Stuart studio @ 772-220-9440 or the Palm City studio @ 772-220-6994 if you need clarification on which cast your child is in.
Contract & Fees
Nutcracker Contract (Due September 4th)
Please read this agreement completely and return signed with dancer and the parent’s signature no later than Friday, September 4th, 2026.
Nutcracker Performance Fees (Due October 1st)
If you are on Auto-pay you will be charged your October tuition on Saturday, October 3rd, and your costume fee on Saturday, October 10th. These fees cover your costume rental and rehearsal time.
- $160 for multiple dances
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 a part taken away or dismissed from the Nutcracker performance completely.
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 held every Saturday between 12 pm and 6 pm. Please note that your dancer may only be scheduled for a portion of this time and not necessarily every Saturday.
- Nutcracker rehearsals are every Saturday between 12 pm and 6 pm starting after 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 14 & 21
We will have 2 mandatory full-cast rehearsals. These are not dress rehearsals. Dancers should arrive in the normal rehearsal clothes. To help ease parking, we will have a car line for dropping off and picking up dancers.
Saturday, November 14 - ENTIRE ACT 1 ONLY
Saturday, November 21 - ENTIRE ACT 2 ONLY
Times and details will be posted on our Rehearsal page a week before.
Dress Rehearsals & Performance Days - November 27-29
Before each performance, there will be a dress rehearsal at the Lyric Theatre starting promptly at 1:30pm.
12:00 PM: COMPANY MEMBER ARRIVE
Company members are expected to be available for the Jr. Holiday Shows on Saturday and Sunday. Arrival times and responsibilities will be communicated directly to company members.
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. No nail polish or markers!
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. Certain roles may require additional items or different shoes. (For example, party girls need a curly ponytail extension.)
Each dancer is responsible for having the following items:
Female Dancers
- Light pink tights
- Light pink leather ballet slippers
- Nude camisole leotard
Male Dancers
- Male dancers will be given a list of what they will need based on their part.
Part Specific Requirements
- Party Boys – Tan Tights, Tan Jazz Shoes
- Russian – Tan Tights, Tan Jazz Shoes
- Ballerina Doll – Please check with Ms. Alicia for shoe color
- Chinese – Please check with Ms. Alicia for shoe color
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.
Jewelry
Dancers should not wear any jewelry except simple stud earrings.
Hair & Makeup
See our Ballet Hair & Makeup Guide
Nutcracker Photos with EPS (October 14-18)
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 December 1st. If you are not on auto-pay, please pay your December tuition no later than Wednesday, December 3rd. If you are not planning on returning or are taking a break during December, tuition will still need to be paid by the 2nd. You can attend make-up classes at any of our locations between now and June 2027.
