Audition

The minimum age to audition is (7) years old — on or before the MCPS kindergarten cut-off date for the current academic school year. (There is no upper age limit.)

GCB strives to be inclusive — our community production is open to all members of the dance and performing arts community. Therefore, we welcome:

• Ballet dancers from all local studios
• High school graduates
• College students
• Alumni dancers
• Community members*

GCB is not a ballet company that is exclusively affiliated with a dance studio. While most productions of The Nutcracker across the state and region are affiliated with a single dance studio, GCB includes dancers from all local studios. Dancers from the University of Montana are also welcome to audition as are adult dancers (beyond high school age) who are actively training and would like to participate in our production. GCB is a company that takes pride in our inclusive mission. We believe the production will benefit by utilizing the talent of all dancers in our community.

*Community members (ages 21 and older) interested in Party Scene roles (including Drosselmeyer, Butler, Maid, Mother, Father, Governess, Grandmother, Grandfather, and Guests) or Mother Ginger should also pre-register online and attend open auditions. (Click here for details.)

While there is no guarantee that everyone who auditions will be cast, we do try!

This article contains helpful advice — and, we encourage parents and dancers to review it every year — Audition Basics and Pointers for Keeping a Positive Perspective by Nichelle Suzanne (Founder/Editor at Dance Advantage)

Hot tip!
GCB offers Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced ballet workshops in August (Summer Boot Camp) to help dancers prepare for auditions — these classes are especially helpful for those who have not danced consistently over the summer.

To assist with casting, GCB hires a dance professional who is not familiar with our local dancers or affiliated with any local studio. This person’s job is to rank and recommend all soloists, including Clara, and determine which dancers should earn a spot in the Snow Corps. The adjudicator is not given any information about any dancer (i.e. name, age, studio affiliation) or past history with GCB (i.e. prior roles or number of years in the production). The adjudicator typically attends auditions for ages (13) and older.

2026 Season – Kimberly Olmos – Bio

If your dancer is anxious or wondering what to expect, the audition will be very similar to a ballet class. Members of the casting committee will observe while an instructor teaches a skill-appropriate lesson. Each dancer will be identified by a number pinned to the front.

• Ladies: Standard ballet attire — solid black leotard, pink tights covering the foot, pink ballet slippers — and bring pointe shoes, if applicable. Hair in neat ballet bun. No make-up required. Extra clothing (i.e. skirts, leg warmers, etc.) should not be worn.
• Gentlemen: Solid white or black dance shirt. Black tights. Dance belt (ages 12 and older). Black ballet slippers. Hair off face.
• Party Scene Adults: Ladies — a close-fitting top and leggings are preferred in order to better see movements. If you own character shoes that you are comfortable wearing, please bring them (otherwise soft-sole jazz shoes or socks are fine). Gentlemen — any comfortable clothing (t-shirt and sweats are fine), plus soft-sole jazz shoes or socks.

Important: No jewelry is allowed during auditions, rehearsals, or performances (this includes earrings and other facial piercings, anklets, friendship bracelets, watches, and necklaces). Please do not schedule any piercings immediately prior to performances or dye hair color between auditions and performances — dancers will need to have natural hair colors.

Every cast member* is required to pay a $300 non-refundable performance tuition fee which helps cover costs associated with choreography, rehearsals, costuming, and performing in the Montana Theatre.

Payment Due: The fee is not due until after casting is complete; it will be collected prior to the first rehearsal. You may pay by check or online in the GCB Store. We do not collect payment upfront because it is not a guarantee that every dancer who auditions will receive a part. Casting will depend on how many dancers audition in each age group and skill level — and, we have a limited number of costumes and roles.

Late Fee: If payment is not received by October 1, a late fee of $50 will apply.

(*In lieu of the required performance tuition fee, adult performers in the Party Scene are kindly asked to make a financial donation that is personally meaningful. Invited guests and paid professionals are exempt.)

GCB organizes optional fundraising programs to help interested families and dancers offset the performance tuition fee cost. There are two programs offered:

Option 1)  Working with local businesses, GCB buys wholesale or discounted products (i.e. coffee) that families resell at retail prices (or slightly higher). The profit from sales offsets part (or all) of your performance tuition fee. Some of our more enthusiastic families volunteer to sell items and donate all proceeds back to GCB — amazing! Note: GCB discourages unaccompanied dancers selling door-to-door.

Instructions (pending)
Order Form
Total Sales Form

Option 2)  If you secure one (1) brand new donor at the $500 level (or higher), 50% of your performance fee will be reimbursed. If you secure two (2) brand new donors, each at the $500 level (or higher), 100% of your performance fee will be reimbursed.

Alert: Please do not solicit any potential donor before checking first with GCB. We want to make sure the person or business you have in mind is not a current donor or a donor on our “do not contact” list. See Donate for more information and materials.

GCB’s production of The Nutcracker depends on dancers being willing to perform the roles they are given. Every role is important to the success of the production. Dancers who have, or might, decline a role they “don’t like” or “don’t want to do” are discouraged from auditioning. See Casting for more information.

Rehearsals begin the weekend after Labor Day and are held at Ballet Arts Academy. Depending on the role(s), dancers rehearse Friday evenings, Saturdays, and/or Sundays (September through December — including UM Homecoming weekend, MEA/MDAA weekend, and on Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend).

Alert: Each year, we develop a rehearsal template (pending) that families and dancers may use to decide whether or not to audition and/or accept their given role(s). Larger scenes (i.e. Fight Scene) may be broken into shorter rehearsals (i.e. Soldiers, Mice, Ornaments) until all parts are “put together” later in the season. This template provides a general idea of rehearsal times for each role. If your child is cast as a Gingersnap (with, for example, rehearsals on Saturdays 1:30-2:30) and your child has soccer games every Saturday (at the same time, 1:30-2:30) then you will have to choose between Nutcracker and soccer.

Please know that every effort is made to keep rehearsal times consistent during the season but for many reasons this is not always possible. Within the general time frame set aside for each variation, exact times and specific dancers called to rehearse may vary week to week. See Schedule for more details.

We appreciate all dancers arriving (5) minutes early to remove shoes, clothes, and be prepared to dance on time.

All dancers (except adults in the Party Scene) must be currently enrolled at any local dance studio in a weekly ballet class — jazz, modern, tap, hip hop, hula, etc. are great, but these classes will not count towards the ballet requirement. GCB will verify studio enrollment.

We joke around that parents are forced to volunteer — but, it’s true! Volunteering is required of every family because otherwise GCB could not afford to produce The Nutcracker.

At a minimum, each family is asked to sign up for (3) volunteer shifts.

There are many flexible volunteer opportunities throughout the season if finding a shift during performance weekend itself is challenging. See Parent Sign Up for details and let us know if you need to make any special arrangements or have extenuating circumstances which make this requirement difficult.

Tech Week is a crucial part of your commitment and we need all families to be prepared for this exciting and demanding stretch of final rehearsals in the Montana Theater. After digesting this information, please consider whether the Nutcracker season feels manageable.
2025 Tech Week and Performances

Please bring a photo to your audition.* It may be in color or b/w, and should be approximately 3×5 in size (any size is fine, except we don’t need an 8×10). Ladies should style hair in a neat ballet bun. Gentlemen should have hair out of eyes and off of face. There is no need to hire a professional photographer, though of course you are welcome to do so! Dancers who take part in Summer Boot Camp receive a complimentary digital headshot — you are responsible for bringing your own printed photo to auditions. Make-up is not required for the photo or auditions. Your photo will be submitted to the casting committee and will not be returned.

*Adults auditioning for Party Scene are not required to bring a photo.

Option One – Paper
Print, sign, and bring paper forms to audition:
Liability and Performance Waivers
Communicable Diseases Waiver
Consent for OTC Medication – for dancers under age of 18

Option Two – Electronic
Use these links to sign online:
Liability and Performance Waivers
Communicable Diseases Waiver
Consent for OTC Medication – for dancers under age of 18 

GCB has an audition requirement for all returning Nutcracker dancers — if this is your first audition, this requirement does not apply. (Party adults: please feel free to write a letter of gratitude but it is not required.) Let us know if you have any questions!
Instructions (please follow)
Examples (for inspiration)