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

AUDITION DETAILS
Westchester Ballet Company — Nutcracker Auditions
📍 81 Croton Avenue, 3rd Floor, Ossining, NY
🗓 August 30 & September 12, 2026 - DANCERS AGES 6 TO 18
📝 Register by August 23, 2026 for the August 30 audition
📝 Register by September 4, 2026 for the September 12 audition

All dancers should arrive at least 30 minutes before their audition time to check in.

Dancers should sign up for the audition time slot based on their age on the day of the audition.

 

Sunday, August 30 — 8:00am–2:45pm

Ages 6–7 — 8:00–9:00am
Ages 8–9 — 9:10–10:10am
Ages 10–12 — 10:15–11:30am — 12-year-olds who have been en pointe for less than 1 year (these dancers would not perform en pointe)
Ages 12–14 — 11:45am–1:15pm — 12-year-olds who have been en pointe for over 1 year (possibility of performing en pointe, TBD)
Ages 15–18 — 1:15–2:45pm

 

OR

 

Saturday, September 12 — 12:00pm–7:00pm

Ages 6–7 — 12:00–1:00pm
Ages 8–9 — 1:15–2:15pm
Ages 10–12 — 2:15–3:30pm — 12-year-olds who have been en pointe for less than 1 year (these dancers would not perform en pointe)
Ages 12–14 — 4:00–5:30pm — 12-year-olds who have been en pointe for over 1 year (possibility of performing en pointe, TBD)
Ages 15–18 — 5:30–7:00pm

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:
·       solid black color leotard, no adornment (no skirt required)
·       pink or skin tone tights
·       ballet slippers should match the color of the tights being worn
·       pointe shoes (if applicable)
 

Boys:
·       white or black form-fitting shirt
·       black tights or form-fitting shorts/leggings
·       ballet slippers
 

Need ballet attire?

If your dancer needs a leotard, tights, or ballet slippers for the audition, we’re happy to provide them free of charge. No need to purchase anything. Contact us: info@westchesterballet.org.

Company Dancer Rankings

  • Preparatory Division — guiding age range: 6 and up

  • Foundation Division — guiding age range: 8 and up

  • Intermediate Division — guiding age range: 11 and up

  • Advanced Division — guiding age range: 13 and up

  • Pre-Professional Division — guiding age range: 15 and up

WBC Company Dancer Ranking Breakdown

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.

2026 Participation Fees

Preparatory Division - $500
Foundation Division  - $500
Intermediate Division - $600
Advanced Division - $700
Pre-Professional Division - $700

Fees include the cost of 13 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:

  1. Agree to the terms of and sign the Dancer’s Agreement.

  2. Attend the Company Meeting.

  3. 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 April (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 2026 Rehearsal Schedule can be found here.

  4. Attend all performance venue rehearsals for their specific roles.

  5. Attend all costume fittings.

  6. Maintain a level of dance training associated with the dancer’s rank in the Company.

  7. Miss one full day of school on Monday, December 21, as well as up to four additional days that may require early dismissal for rehearsals. These are not expected to be full days away from school, and rehearsals will be scheduled after school whenever possible to minimize the impact on students' academic schedules.

  8. Be available to perform on Sunday, December 20 and Monday, December 21, 2026.

PARENTS must:

  1. Accept or decline their dancers’ roles no later than Friday, September 17, 2026.

  2. Agree to the terms of and sign the Dancer Agreement.

  3. Make payment of participation fees or apply for financial assistance no later than Friday, September 17, 2026.

  4. Review the rehearsal and performance schedule prior to accepting their child’s roles to confirm that all attendance requirements can be met.

  5. Attend the mandatory Parent Meeting Friday, Sept. 17, 7:00-8:30 pm at 81 Croton Ave.

  6. Ensure that their dancer(s) arrive on time to weekly rehearsals and all performances.

  7. Agree to never use cellular/electronic devices during any WBC performance. Recording/photographing any WBC performance is prohibited.

  8. 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:

    Sales, Boutique, Greeters, Check In/Check Out, Costume Packing, Load In/Load Out (Strike), Wardrobe, Selling Playbill Advertisements, and Dressing Rooms.
     

Nutcracker Roles

There are approximately 60 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 
Frau Silberhaus
Clara
Marie or Fritz
Herr Drosselmeyer
Drosselmeyer's Nephew
Maids
Adult Party Guests
Grandmother
Bürgermeister Friedrich
Party Girls
Party Boys
Party Teenager
Harlequinade Dolls
Soldier Doll
Debutantes
Nutcracker Prince
Mouse King
Mouse Queen
Mice
Toy General
Toy Soldiers
Snow Queen
Snow King
Snow Princesses
Snowflakes

ACT II
Sugar Plum Fairy
Prince Cavalier
Angels
Sugar Plum Attendant
Bäckerinnen (Bakers)
Hot Chocolate from Spain
Coffee from Arabia
Tea from China
Trepak
Marzipan Reed Flutes
Mother Ginger
Mother Ginger's Children
Kleine Kekse (Little Cookies)
Dew Drop Fairy
Flowers

**Subject to change**

Please send all questions to info@westchesterballet.org.

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