AUDITION GUIDE
Being a Company dancer requires a commitment of participation throughout the year in Westchester Ballet Company’s performances and payment of participation fees. Details are outlined in this guide. Before auditioning dancers and their parents should be familiar with the requirements for auditioning for and dancing with the Company, along with an understanding of the time commitments as laid out in the Nutcracker Rehearsal Schedule.
Audition Schedule
Westchester Ballet Company
Nutcracker Auditions
📍 81 Croton Avenue, 3rd Floor, Ossining, NY
🗓 Sunday, September 21st, 2025
All dancers should arrive at least 30 minutes before their audition time to check in. Dancers should register for the audition time slot corresponding with the age they are on the audition date.
Sunday, September 21st
2:30pm-3:30pm Female roles, ages 8 and over, not en pointe
3:30pm-7:30pm Male roles ages 8 and over; and female roles en pointe, ages 12 and over
**Please note that dancers will be dismissed as needed throughout the day. An early dismissal does NOT indicate a dancer has been "cut", there are many different roles and configurations for the casting team to consider. All Dancers should arrive with pointe shoes (if applicable), ballet slippers and character shoes if they already have them.
Not sure which audition(s) to attend? Contact joshua.mcwhortor@westchesterballet.org
Audition Attire
Please note that auditions may be filmed and/or photographed. Dancers should be “camera-ready” at auditions. Hair must be styled in a secure ballet bun with hairnet and pins; short hair should be pinned away from the face. Nails must be short and clean. No jewelry is allowed, including watches, smartwatches, fitness trackers, necklaces, rings, or bracelets. Small, non-dangling stud earrings are permitted.
Girls, aged 8-11:
· solid color leotard, no adornment (no skirt)
· pink or skin tone tights (should match slippers)
· pink or skin tone ballet slippers (should match tights)
Girls, aged 12-18
· solid color camisole leotard, no adornment. Simple, unembellished ballet skirt may be worn.
· pink or skin tone tights (should match slippers)
· pink or skin tone ballet slippers (should match tights)
· pointe shoes (if applicable, should match tights)
Boys:
· white or black form-fitting shirt
· black tights/leggings or form-fitting shorts
· ballet slippers
If your dancer does not already have a leotard, ballet tights or ballet slippers, please contact us at info@westchesterballet.org. We can supply these at no-cost.
Company Dancer Rankings
Junior Company
Trainee I
Trainee II
Apprentice
Corps de Ballet
Casting Decisions
All casting decisions are final. No communication regarding casting is permitted between parents and anyone involved in the casting, directing or producing of WBC’s The Nutcracker.
Technical abilities and height in casting
Dancers are cast in roles deemed appropriate to a dancer’s abilities, but height is also taken into consideration as dancers need to be similarly paired with others onstage.
Managing expectations
It is essential that dancers and their parents understand and fully appreciate that every role in a production—and every dancer in the Company— is important. We count on parents to be partners in this journey and to help manage expectations and potential disappointments.
Casting and repeating roles
WBC works very hard to give as many qualified dancers as possible the opportunity to participate in its productions and we ask our families to keep this in mind. However, not every dancer who auditions will necessarily be offered a role in The Nutcracker or an invitation to join the Company. Dancers may need more training or time to be prepared to participate in a production of this complexity. Also, it is important to note that it is very normal for a dancer to be cast in the same role(s) for several seasons in a row. This does not mean that a dancer is not improving or that they are not valued.
Eyewear
Dancers who wear eyeglasses must be able to remove them for rehearsals and performances, and still dance safely.
Declining a role
Dancers must accept all or none of the roles and understudy assignments for which they are cast. If declining their role(s), they must understand that they are also declining membership in the ballet company for the fall season. They are, however, welcome to audition again in the Spring. Please note that dancers must notify the Company Manager of their decision to decline their roles before rehearsals begin.
A dancer who withdraws from the production once rehearsals have begun will be dismissed from the Company for the season. Participation fees will not be refunded.
Role Notifications
Dancers will receive email notification regarding their Company placement and their Nutcracker role(s) within one week of their audition via the Company Manager. The email will include a link to the Dancer Agreement. This agreement must be carefully read by the dancers and their parents before it is signed and submitted. The Dancer Agreement will be available for viewing soon.
2025 Participation Fees
Junior Company - $500
Trainee I - $500
Trainee II - $600
Apprentice - $700
Corps de Ballet - $700
Fees include the cost of twelve weeks of Nutcracker rehearsals, role-specific coaching, education in professional performance practices, and unlimited access to complimentary Company Classes at Westchester Ballet Company. Depending on placement within the company, and roles cast in, dancers receive an average of 50 hours of rehearsal, plus 24 hours of company class.
Financial Assistance
Dancers may apply for financial assistance to cover and/or offset participation fees once they have been invited into the Company. Please email: info@westchesterballet.org. Please include your dancer’s name in the subject line.
Participation Requirements
All DANCERS must:
Agree to the terms of and sign the Dancer’s Agreement.
Attend the Company Meeting.
Company dancers are expected to attend all rehearsals. An absence during one of the first three setting rehearsals for a role, as well as any absences in December or May (if participating in the spring ballet), may result in immediate forfeiture of the dancer’s role(s). An unexcused absence is an infraction of the Dancer Agreement and may result in dismissal from the Company. Emergencies such as sudden illness will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Missing any rehearsal may result in a change in casting. The 2025 Rehearsal Schedule can be found here.
Attend all performance venue rehearsals for their specific roles.
Attend all costume fittings.
Maintain a level of dance training associated with the dancer’s rank in the Company.
Miss two days of school for Nutcracker dress rehearsals on Thursday, December 11 and the performance on Friday, December 12.
Be available to perform on Saturday, December 13 and Sunday, December 14, 2025.
PARENTS must:
Accept or decline their dancers’ roles no later than Tuesday, September 23rd, 2025.
Agree to the terms of and sign the Dancer Agreement.
Make payment of participation fees or apply for financial assistance no later than Friday, September 23rd, 2025.
Review the rehearsal and performance schedule prior to accepting their child’s roles to confirm that all attendance requirements can be met.
Attend the mandatory Parent Meeting Friday, Sept. 19, 7:00-8:30 pm at 81 Croton Ave. First year parents must attend an additional meeting taking place Saturday, September 27.
Ensure that their dancer(s) arrive on time to weekly rehearsals and all performances.
Agree to never use cellular/electronic devices during any WBC performance. Recording/photographing any WBC performance is prohibited.
Each family must engage in at least one of the following volunteer activities during the Nutcracker season, and again in the spring if their dancer is cast in the Spring Ballet:
Flower Sales, Boutique, Greeters, Check In/Check Out, Costume Packing, Load In/Load Out (Strike), Wardrobe, Selling Playbill Advertisements, Organizing Playbill Special Messages, and help in Dressing Rooms.
Nutcracker Roles
There are approximately 100 roles in our production of The Nutcracker. Most roles are performed by non-professional youth dancers, but a small number of professional adult dancers are part of the cast.
ACT I
Clara’s Father
Clara’s Mother
Clara
Fritz
Herr Drosselmeyer, Clara’s Godfather
Drosselmeyer’s Nephew/Nutcracker
Maids
Butlers
Party Guests
Grandmother
Grandfather
Party Children
Party Teenagers
Harlequin Dolls
Soldier Doll
Mouse Queen
Mouse King
Big Mice
Baby Mice
Toy Soldiers
Snow Queen
Snow King
Snow Princesses
Snowflakes
ACT II
Sugar Plum Fairy
The Prince Cavalier
Angels
Bakers
Hot Chocolate from Spain
Coffee from Arabia
Tea from China
Candy Cane/Trepak/Russian
Marzipan
Mother Ginger
Mother Ginger’s Children
Dew Drop Fairy
Flowers
**Subject to change**
Please send all questions to info@westchesterballet.org.
We are an organization powered by volunteers. Thank you for your patience if we are unable to respond immediately.