Bay Area Youth Ballet

NUTCRACKER AUDITIONS 

Saturday, September 12th 2026

AUDITION FORM AVAILABLE LATE AUGUST
How Do Rehearsals Work?
VOLUNTEERING SURVEY - UPDATED FORM COMING SOON

ADDITIONAL AUDITION INFORMATION

WHO CAN AUDITION

BABC CURRENTLY ENROLLED DANCERS

  • Dancers who are 5 years of age by September 1, 2026, through Level 6, including Teen Ballet III, are eligible to audition.

  • Returning students in Levels 4A, 4B, 5, 6, and Teen Ballet III must have fulfilled the required Summer 2026 training requirements to be eligible for Nutcracker casting.

  • Dancers in Level 1A through Level 3 who trained at Bay Area Ballet Conservatory for at least three weeks during Summer 2026 will receive priority casting over those who did not participate in summer training.

  • While we strive to cast as many students as possible, casting is not guaranteed, with the exception of Bay Area Youth Ballet Company dancers. Company dancers receive higher casting priority than comparable non-company dancers.

  • Students wishing to be considered for casting must attend the audition scheduled for their current BABC level.

  • At least one parent, guardian, or family member is required to attend the Parent Orientation meeting.

  • There is no audition fee.

COMMUNITY DANCERS

  • Girls enrolled at other dance schools who are 5 years of age by September 1, 2026, through age 10 are eligible to audition.

  • Boys ages 6 and older are eligible to audition. No previous dance experience is required for boys ages 6–12. Boys ages 8–12 are encouraged to enroll in our scholarship Boys Ballet class. Some 7-year-old boys may also be eligible if they demonstrate readiness.

  • Please attend the audition designated for your dancer's age and experience level.

  • While we strive to cast as many dancers as possible, casting is not guaranteed.

  • At least one parent or legal guardian is required to attend the Parent Orientation meeting.

  • There is no audition fee.

WHAT TO WEAR:

Girls: Leotard, ballet tights, ballet shoes. Dancers in Beginning Pointe II through Advanced Pointe should be prepared to dance en pointe during the audition. Hair must be in a secure ballet bun.

Boys: Athletic shorts or dance tights, ballet shoes (socks may be worn if dancer does not currently own ballet shoes), tshirt.

WHAT TO BRING:

  • A wallet-sized or approximately 4" × 6" printed photo

  • Audition registration paperwork, if it has not already been submitted

  • Levels 4A, 4B, 5, 6, and Teen Ballet III must pre-register in advance.

Please arrive already dressed in the required dance attire listed above.

WHAT DOES THE AUDITION ENTAIL:

Upon arrival, dancers will:

  • Check in

  • Submit audition registration paperwork (if not previously submitted)

  • Turn in their photo

  • Receive an audition number

  • Be measured for costumes

Being measured for costumes does not indicate that a dancer has been cast. Measurements are taken on audition day simply to help expedite the costume fitting and casting process.

During the audition, dancers will learn and perform short combinations of choreography for the faculty. The audition is conducted in a formal audition setting as part of the educational experience for participating dancers. Each audition group is designed to be age- and level-appropriate.

All auditions are closed to spectators.

CASTING:

  • Families will be notified within one week of the auditions whether their dancer(s) have been cast in The Nutcracker. At that time, cast families will be required to submit a signed Nutcracker Participation Agreement and pay the applicable participation fees by the stated deadline.

    We strive to accommodate as many dancers as possible; however, casting and role assignments are not guaranteed.

    Once all Participation Agreements and participation fees have been received, role assignments will be released.

    Audition fees and participation fees are strictly non-refundable and non-transferable.

    Tickets to attend performances are not included in the participation fees and must be purchased separately.

    Bay Area Youth Ballet's production of The Nutcracker is a pre-professional production presented to the highest artistic standards. We ask that dancers and families carefully consider the commitment involved and take all rehearsal and performance obligations seriously.

GENERAL REHEARSAL INFORMATION:

Nutcracker Rehearsals are held on Saturday afternoons between a general 12pm-6pm time frame. Our older dancers will be scheduled earlier, and an effort will be made not to have the dancers in rehearsal longer than 2.5 hours. Younger dancers are scheduled in the later portion of the schedule, and an effort is made not to have the dancer in rehearsal longer than 1.5 hours. Our youngest dancers can expect not to have rehearsals longer than 1 hour.

Rehearsal schedules are provided with two weeks' notice. Rehearsal times will fluctuate.

There may be some dates when your dancer’s role will not be called for rehearsal.

Dancers cast in the Act I Party Scene will have some rehearsals on Friday evenings.

 ATTENDANCE POLICY:

Dancers are permitted one excused Nutcracker rehearsal absence only.

Required as part of the audition application: Please circle or highlight any dates on the rehearsal calendar below during which your dancer has a scheduling conflict and cannot attend rehearsal.

If a dancer lists more than one scheduling conflict, it may affect casting decisions or indicate that the dancer is unable to be cast in this year's production, at the discretion of the Artistic Director, Choreographer, and Faculty. All known conflicts must be disclosed at the time of the audition to be considered during casting.

  • Dates shown in red in the schedule below are mandatory and cannot be missed. If your dancer is unavailable on any mandatory date, they are unfortunately ineligible to audition for this year's production.

  • One additional excused absence may be considered for High School Placement Tests (HSPT), ACT, or SAT examinations that conflict with a rehearsal. Requests related to these examinations, including those occurring on mandatory (non-theatre) dates, may be considered at the Artistic Director's discretion. Every effort should be made to avoid missing rehearsals.

  • Poor attendance for any reason, including illness, excessive tardiness, or unexcused absences, may result in reduced casting, reassignment of roles, or dismissal from the production.

  • Because illness and unforeseen circumstances can arise during the rehearsal period, dancers are strongly encouraged not to request any personal absences unless absolutely necessary.