FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 8, 2002

CONTACT: Mark Fleisher:

Festival Ballet Providence, 401-353-1129

FESTIVAL BALLET PROVIDENCE ANNOUNCES OPEN AUDITIONS FOR ITS PRODUCTION OF THE NUTCRACKER SEPTEMBER 22, 2002

Providence, RI - Festival Ballet Providence, Rhode Island’s largest professional dance company and one of the largest ballet companies in New England, will hold open auditions at its new location, 825 Hope Street, for its production of The Nutcracker. The audition fee is $15, payable to Festival Ballet Providence. Pre-registration is not required, but young dancers are suggested to arrive at least a half-hour before their scheduled audition time to register, change and stretch.

Mr. Djuric is also looking to give young dancers the chance to perform in one of the biggest and most anticipated dance productions in the state. The Nutcracker auditions will take place on Sunday, September 22 with time slots as follows:

10:00 a.m. to 12 Noon - 7-9 year olds with little or no ballet training. (They need to be 7 by September)

12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.- 10-12 year olds with a minimum of two years of training. (They must be 10 by September)

2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. - 12 years and older with a minimum of one year of pointe training. They must be 12 by September)

4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. - Boys ages 7 and up with little or no ballet training. (They must be 7 by September)

This year’s production of The Nutcracker will include seven performances, December 13th to 16th at the opulent Providence Performing Arts Center, to an audience of over 15,000. More than 50 roles need to be filled including Fritz, Clara’s Friends, Party Boys, Party Boys, Candy Dolls, Mice, Soldiers, and Angels. Principal, soloist and corps de ballet roles are danced primarily by Festival Ballet Providence’s Company and Junior Company dancers. However, outstanding dancers who audition will also be considered for those roles. The performance features a chorus, live orchestra, internationally acclaimed dancers, stunning sets, and sparkling costumes.

While The Nutcracker requires a significant time commitment for rehearsals and performances, it is a wonderful opportunity for young performers to gain valuable stage experience and to share the stage with world-class professional dancers in a stunning, unforgettable production.

For more details about Festival Ballet Providence auditions or its Center for Dance Education, please call 401-353-1129 or send e-mail to info@festivalballet.com. Festival Ballet Providence and the Center for Dance Education are together a not-for-profit arts organization whose EIN is 05-0377245 and whose Rhode Island Corporate ID number is ND-27-137.

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Attention Photographers and Writers:

This is your chance to begin an episodic story on the process of staging The Nutcracker from audition to stage performance. You can follow one of our new professional dancers through the process, a seasoned veteran in our company, the wardrobe mistress, a child from your paper’s readership, the artistic director, the rehearsal mistress, a Nutcracker mom, or a combination of the above.

The possibilities for great photographs are endless! We expect over 200 children this year to audition. Last year the events of 9/11 put a damper on the auditions, and expect this year to be quite different.