The sumptuous holiday classic, The Nutcracker, returns to the Alan Jay Wildstein Center for the Performing Arts on South Florida State College’s (SFSC) Highlands Campus in Avon Park on Sunday, Dec. 4.
Cindy Garren, SFSC Cultural Programs director, has contracted Columbia City Ballet, South Carolina’s premiere ballet company, to perform the beloved ballet for one performance. Columbia City Ballet produces what critics have described as “some of the highest quality cultural entertainment in the Southeast.” The Ballet attracts not only audiences from all over the Southeast but also quality dancers from all over the country. Entering its 60th season, Columbia City Ballet travels to 15 cities in three states performing a full ballet season.
William Starrett, artistic director of Columbia City Ballet, will conduct local auditions at the Wildstein Center on Saturday, Aug. 27. Children ages 5 to 6 will audition at 10 a.m. and ages 7 to 10 will audition at 11 a.m. Dancers, ages 11 and older, audition at 12:30 p.m. Dancers who have danced on pointe for at least two years must bring their pointe shoes to the audition. Nancy McDuffee will conduct the youth rehearsals at the Wildstein Center.
“Many roles are available, from mice to soldiers to candy canes and more,” Garren said. Dance and gymnastics experience is not required, although it is preferred, and children must have completed kindergarten. “This is a wonderful opportunity for local children to perform onstage with a respected, professional company in a beautiful production,” Garren said.
Children should wear leotards, tights, and ballet shoes or shorts and a plain white T-shirt with comfortable shoes. Sandals or flip flops are not permitted. No audition fee is required, but all children cast in the production are required to pay a small costume rental fee which covers cleaning and repairs. A parent or adult chaperone must accompany a child to the audition.
Starrett will offer a free ballet workshop for students with at least two years of ballet experience. It will be held on Friday, Aug. 26, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., at SFSC. To register for the ballet workshop or for more audition information, visit https://www.sfscarts.org/box-office/education/nutcracker/. If you have any questions, email culturalperformances@southflorida.edu. Please do not call the SFSC Box Office which is closed for the summer.
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