Cast Descriptions

Touring Cast

Roles: Klara, The Nutcracker Prince, Tour Squirrel, Beaver, White-Tailed Deer, Dragonfly, Sock Bunny, and Community Children

Students wishing to tour with the company must register to audition in Toronto or Kitchener-Waterloo only. Touring students are usually 12-years of age or older. They participate in the same registration and audition process as the Local Cast applicants. At the time of registration, students will be given an exact audition time based on their age. Auditions are done in groups of up to approximately 24 dancers. Each group audition is approximately 40 minutes long, during which time excerpts of Group of Seven Nutcracker choreography are taught by the Ballet Jörgen Canada repetiteur. While some decisions are made within that initial audition time, some students may be asked to dance again for a Final Selection. During the course of the Final Selection Audition for the oldest age group, both Local and Touring Cast selections are made. The final assignment of specific Tour Cast roles, including understudies, is made during the subsequent weekly rehearsal process as the BJC repetiteur and the company’s Artistic Director become more familiar with each young tour member. The more senior youth tour members fill roles that appear in every performance while the junior members fill roles that only appear on certain stages. All the show choreography is taught and rehearsed by a BJC repetiteur. The rehearsals for the touring cast will be extensive and they take place in both Kitchener-Waterloo and Toronto. The Cast will have studio dress rehearsals and may be required to view performances. Rehearsals with the Full Company will take place in Toronto in November and December and will require attendance during school hours. The Tour performances will be divided amongst the cast members, no cast member will be expected to dance for the whole duration of the tour. When the Company stays overnight in a community, Ballet Jörgen Canada will provide accommodation, meals, transportation and chaperoning by a Company member.

Local Cast

Roles: Chipmunks, Squirrels, Dragonflies, Beavers, White-Tailed Deer, Frogs and a Bear Cub

Students register in advance to audition in their own local community. Auditions and first rehearsals typically take place over the course of one weekend in early autumn in each participating community. At the time of registration, students will be given an exact audition time based on their age. Auditions are done in groups of up to 24 dancers. Each group audition is approximately 40-minutes long, during which time excerpts of Group of Seven Nutcracker choreography are taught by the Ballet Jörgen Canada repetiteur. While some decisions are made within that initial audition time, students may be asked to dance again for a Final Selection Audition at which point final cast decisions are made. Once the cast is selected, specific roles are assigned. For auditions taking place on a Saturday morning, final selections are usually completed by noontime, leaving the remaining weekend time for cast rehearsals. During these cast rehearsals, all the show choreography is taught by the BJC repetiteur. A Local Rehearsal Master will then hold mandatory weekly rehearsals until the performance date(s). Based on this rehearsal process and in consultation with the BJC repetiteur, final show casting will be determined 2-3 weeks prior to the first performance. It is recommended that parents, friends and family do not purchase their tickets until final show casting has been announced which will ensure that they have tickets to the show that their participant is actually dancing in. The Cast will have on stage rehearsals with the full company the day prior and/or the day of the first performance. Local Cast members must attend all rehearsals and be available for all performances.

Outreach Participant

Roles: Chipmunk, Beaver, White-Tailed Deer, Frog and a Bear Cub

Students participating as Outreach Participants do not audition. When these roles need to be filled, Ballet Jörgen Canada contacts local dance schools and students are nominated by the director of their dance school. These students participate in minor roles that require 3 - 4 hours of rehearsal on the day prior and/or the day of the performance. This rehearsal is on stage with the full company.