Arts & Entertainment
Audition for LI's Largest 'Nutcracker' Ballet
Casting for Children's Cast and Company Dancers - Saturday, August 21 and Sunday, August 22 at the Ohman School of Ballet in Commack
New York Dance Theatre's beloved production of the holiday classic story ballet "The Nutcracker" is set to return for the company's 39th season this December, and the company is holding casting auditions at the Ohman School of Ballet the weekend of Saturday, August 21 and Sunday, August 22 for children's and company roles.
New York City Ballet Principal Dancer Ask la Cour, who serves as Artistic Director for the New York Dance Theatre and the Ohman School of Ballet, will oversee the auditions and cast selection. The New York Dance Theatre's production features guest artists from leading ballet companies including New York City Ballet and Dance Theater of Harlem.
Young dancers ages 6 through 15 who are not already students at the Ohman School of Ballet can audition for parts in the Christmas Party Scene, the Battle Scene, the Land of Snow, and the Land of Sweets on Sunday, August 22 at 11 am. Proper ballet attire is required for all who audition including a leotard, tights, ballet shoes and neat hair.
Dancers at the pre-professional and professional level can audition on Saturday, August 21 at 11 am. A full warm up class will be followed by the audition.
Auditions will be held at the Ohman School of Ballet at the Suffolk Y JCC campus, 74 Hauppauge Road in Commack. A $20 audition fee is required for each participant. Full audition details and requirements to participate in the production are posted at https://www.ohmanballet.org/nutcracker-auditions/. For questions, please call 631.462.6266.
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About the Ohman School of Ballet
The Ohman School of Ballet (OSB) has attracted students from all over Long Island since opening in 1979, building a reputation for unparalleled classical ballet instruction in the tradition of New York City Ballet founder George Balanchine, as well as injury-preventing state-of-the-art flooring in all of their studio space. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, the school was one of the pioneering arts institutions in the state to immediately move instruction to virtual classrooms, offering a full schedule of classes to students nationwide, with guest teachers from premier dance companies including New York City Ballet.
OSB was founded in 1979 by Frank Ohman (1939-2019), former soloist at New York City Ballet and an internationally known dancer and choreographer. Since 2020, the school is under the artistic direction of New York City Ballet Principal Ask la Cour. A division of the New York Dance Theatre, Inc., known for the largest production of "The Nutcracker" on Long Island, OSB has become an integral part of the company and is one of the very few not-for-profit ballet schools in the region. Current faculty includes New York City Ballet Principal Daniel Ulbricht as artistic advisor. For more information and class schedules, visit www.ohmanballet.org.
