Click image to expand. Rehearsals will be posted at least two weeks in advance. Please check back for updates.

Tuesday, December 5   Wednesday, December 6   Thursday, December 7
4:00
Act I Call for Blocking
  4:00
Act I Call for Tech
  5:00
Full Cast Call for Dress Rehearsal
6:15
Finale & Act 2 Call for Blocking
Act I dancers may leave after Finale (approx. 7:15)
  5:30
Finale & Act 2 Call for Tech
Act I dancers may leave after Finale (approx. 6:30)
  5:15-6:30
Class
9:00
Blocking Rehearsal Ends
  7:30
Tech Rehearsal Ends
  7:00-9:00
Dress Rehearsal
    7:30-8:45
UNCSA filming
   
         
Friday, December 8   Saturday, December 9   PLEASE NOTE
5:00
Full Cast Call for Performance #1
  12:00
Full Cast Call for Performance #2
 

Performers must enter through Stage Door located near loading dock on the west side of the Student Center – do not enter through lobby

Stage Door may not be open before call time

All dancers must check in with wrangler upon arrival

Rehearsal times are approximate

Dancers may be released earlier than the end times

*Schedule subject to change.

5:15-6:15
Class
  12:15-1:15
Class
 
7:00
Performance #1
  2:00
Performance #2
 
    5:45
Full Cast Call for Performance #3
 
    6:00-6:15
Warm-up
 
    7:00
Performance #3
 

STEWART THEATRE PARKING MAP: click here for a downloadable pdf

ARRIVAL TIME ROLE
12:00 Mice / Mouse Queen
12:15 Polichinelles
12:30 Angels & Little Angels
1:00 Marzipan
1:15 Soldiers
1:30 Snow & Queen
1:45 Pine Fairies
2:00 Flowers & Dew Drop
2:15 Clara, Party Children & Maid
2:30 Guides & Dolls
2:45 Ribbon Candy, Gingerbreads
3:00 Tea, Trepak
3:15 Spanish
3:30 Arabian & Attendants
3:45 Seniors

Please see show order below 

ACT 1

Party Children

Maid

Harlequin & Columbine

Soldiers

Mice

Pine Fairies

Snow Queen & Snow

ACT 2

Guides 

Angels 

Gingerbread

Ribbon Candy

Spanish Chocolate

Arabian Coffee

Chinese Tea

Trepak

Marzipan

Polichinelles

Dewdrop Fairy & Flowers

FINALE

Entire Cast

This production can be successful only through the work of our army of wonderful volunteers. Check back here soon for more information

If you are signing up as a makeup assistant or dressing room parent, you must sign up for a rehearsal as well as a show to get the necessary practice.

Any questions can be sent to volunteer@city-ballet.com

Community Performances 

We hope to return to holding community performances this year. Please check back for more details when they become available.

Tickets on-sale in October

STEWART THEATRE SEATING CHART: click here for a downloadable pdf.

We are excited to return to the Stewart Theatre for The Nutcracker this December!

Auditions will be held September 10 & 11. Dancers must register in advance by completing this form by September 7. See schedule below:

Saturday, September 10

Primary Ballet B, Primary Ballet C

          9:30-10:00 Registration

          10:00-10:30 Audition

Ballet 1A/B

          10:00-10:30 Registration

          10:30-11:30 Audition

Ballet 2A/B

          11:00-11:30 Registration

          11:30-12:30 Audition

Ballet 3A, 4A

          12:30-1:00 Registration

          1:00-2:30 Audition

Ballet 4B, 5

          2:00-2:30 Registration

          2:30-4:00 Audition

Sunday, September 11

          12:00-2:00 Possible call-backs for Int/Adv roles

 

Please arrive early to warm-up – no class will be given before the audition. Appropriate apparel should be worn by all dancers – leotard and tights for girls, form-fitting top and tights or shorts for boys. Class uniform may be worn, but is not required.

 

Dancers in Pointe 3A, 3B and 4 should arrive in pointe shoes, those in Pointe 2 should bring pointe shoes with them.

 

The dancers’ fee for 2024 will be $210 (including $10 fee for credit card processing). Stevens Center will be going under a major renovation, so Winter Dance has been moved to the Freedman Theatre on the main campus, which is a much smaller house. For this reason, complimentary tickets to the performance will not be included with registration this year. However, we are working on an alternate way for you to view Winter Dance at a discounted ticket price for Festival participants. Thank you for your patience as we continue to work out these details.

Google Map of important locations which you can use to get directions from your phone.

We have reserved a block of room at the Hampton Inn and Suites Winston-Salem Downtown. We have blocked 35 rooms at just $109 per night plus taxes and fees (on-site parking is an additional $18 per night). As rooms are limited, we encourage sharing rooms when possible.

This year, the hotel has provided a special site to book and lock your discounted rate at the correct hotel – click here to reserve your room.

Frankie has selected the following dancers to work with him on this year’s submission to the Festival of NC Dance. We’re proud of all the dancers who auditioned.

Hannah Boyce, Katelyn Dougherty, Kensie Farwell, Madison Fowler, Lillian Hogg, Olivia Jones, Bridget McDaniel, Joseph O’Carroll, Katherine Ransom, Julia Rose, Rachel Shearon, Julianna Williford

Alternates will be designated from within this group, not all those listed will perform at the Festival, but all will have the opportunity to perform in the Spring Recital.

Please see Nutcracker schedule for Festival rehearsals.

Our annual recital will be held Mother’s Day weekend at Wakefield High School. 

Please bookmark this page – to ensure that families have the most up-to-date information available, schedules and other important information will not be sent by email but updated on this page.

Click here to view the schedule for Theatre Week. Rehearsals on stage begin May 6. Students are required to attend all rehearsals they are called for. Please see the Performances tab for casting information.

Click here to sign up to help at the theatre.

Click here to sign up to help as a Costume Parent.

All families will receive 2 complimentary tickets. Additional seats are $18 including taxes and fees.

Priority tickets sales for graduation Seniors and Lead Volunteers will be available Tuesday, April 11. Tickets will be available to all other families Sunday, April 16th. Please be aware that City Ballet accounts must be paid in full in order to release seats.

Instructions and codes for purchasing tickets will be emailed after April tuition is paid.

We are currently coordinating with the videographer to arrange for this year’s performances to be streamed live. We will update this page when we have more information.

Volunteers are the essential ingredient without which students cannot have a successful recital experience! Please consider one of the many opportunities to help your child and others have their best performance ever! 

First up we have Picture Day: Saturday, April 22. We need parents to help with the flow of students – getting into costume, lining up for their time slot and getting out of costume at the end. We also need volunteers to collect costumes from certain classes after the photo shoot and bring them to the theatre (mostly classes that are Level 2 or younger).

Click here to sign up to help with Picture Day.

After students in Level 1 or younger have finished with their pictures, we need a volunteer from each class to gather costumes together to make sure they are all delivered to the theatre together at the Tech Rehearsal.

Click here to sign up to help as a Costume Parent.

To help students perform their best, we need many volunteers at the theatre, from dressers to wranglers and more.

Click here to sign up to help at the theatre.

Photography by Bob Stuart will be at our studios on Saturday, April 22nd to take group and individual portraits. The photographers have indicated that there will be a new system for ordering prints this spring, we will share more information about that when we receive it.

Click here to sign up to help with Picture Day.

Click here to sign up to help as a Costume Parent.

City Ballet is proud to present its student to examiners from the American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum!

Exams will take place Spring 2024 in our studios, date TBD. More information will be shared here when it becomes available.

THIS INFO IS FROM SPRING 2022 AND IS NOT CURRENT. FOR REFERENCE ONLY.

Students will be required to take daily classes in the week leading up to the exams.

This is necessary to ensure students are confident in the material they will be presenting and ensure a positive experience for everyone.

Exam Level Class time (Mon-Fri) Cost (Including Exam and Master Class)
1A 6:00-7:15 $125
1B 6:00-7:15 $125
2A 6:00-7:30 $135
2B 4:30-6:00 $135
3B 4:00-6:00 $150
4A 7:15-9:30 $165

 

Check back later for important student resources – we will include exercises and other information students will need to have to prepare.

GENERAL

You can always call or email the City Ballet office at (919) 844-9799 or info@city-ballet.com Office staff is usually available to answer your questions Monday through Friday between 3 and 6pm. Messages can be left and we will make every effort to return all inquiries within 24 hours during the business week.

A season with City Ballet Raleigh has a distinct pattern (click here to see a year in review) that seeks to nurture a love of movement, music, and performance while training dancers through a structured syllabus that builds their technical expertise and their physical strength over the course of a dance year. A year of regular classes runs from late August to mid-May. Summer classes are offered in May, June, July, and August.

Please click here for City Ballet’s Dress Requirements.

Hair must be secured and pulled off shoulders for all classes. This is necessary for the teacher to evaluate placement of shoulders, head and neck. Buns are preferred, but in the case of shorter hair, pony-tails and pull-backs are acceptable if the teacher is able to adequately see the head, neck and shoulders.

Attending class is the responsibility of each student. No refunds/credits are issued for classes not attended. Classes missed should be made-up in a level-appropriate class within 30 days; please ask your teacher if you have any questions.

City Ballet does NOT follow Wake County Public Schools for inclement weather. Please look to our website and our Facebook page for the most up to date information about studio closings.
We will also leave a message on our studio phone.

NUTCRACKER

City Ballet performs a full length, richly costumed and staged version of The Nutcracker in December. This is a wonderful, professional performing opportunity for students, and is made possible through the efforts of City Ballet staff and parent volunteers. City Ballet dancers are joined by guest artists from Carolina Ballet.

Students currently enrolled in a Ballet class at City Ballet that are placed in Primary 2 or higher.

Auditions are held in early Fall for enrolled students. Auditions will be held on September 8, 2018 with possible callbacks on September 9, 2018.

Parents and dancers alike must realize ahead of time that a dancer who receives a role in the Nutcracker is making a serious commitment of time and energy. Dancers should be prepared to be at the studio at least one day each weekend from the beginning of rehearsals in September through the performance in December. Please see the Rehearsal Policy above.

There is a $90 Nutcracker fee for each participating dancer which helps to cover admin costs as well as care and construction of the studio’s Nutcracker costumes and sets.

Rehearsal schedules will be posted online at the Client Portal and at the studio. We will do our best to try to schedule at least two weeks in advance. It is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct dates and times for rehearsals depending upon your child’s casting. Check this portal regularly for updates.

Most rehearsals are called by role, however many are called by scene and some by act. All roles called each day are listed at the top of the schedule. If you have any questions about which scenes/acts your child is in, please ask.

Rehearsals are critical and attendance is mandatory (both at the studio and at the theatre). Dancers must arrive on time, warmed up and ready to dance. For the shows to be successful, commitment is required. Missing one cast member will make the entire rehearsal inefficient. Dancers should remain focused with all of their attention and energy when they are in the studio. Please help us by sharing this expectation with your child.

Dancers should wear leotards and tights to all rehearsals but are not required to wear their class leotard. Dancers are also encouraged to bring sweatpants and jackets/sweaters as there will be times that they are not active but need to stay warm.

The week before the performances is a particularly exciting time as we are bringing the show to the stage. With this excitement also comes rather long rehearsals during the week and on school nights. It is important that parents and performers prepare for this and understand the time commitment, balancing that with other demands at home and school. While we recognize that these rehearsals may involve a lot of sitting and waiting, we are cognizant of people’s time and make every effort to keep the schedule tight and minimize your time spent at the theatre. Thank you for your understanding.

Parents will not be allowed backstage during rehearsals and performances unless they are volunteering. Students should be dropped off and picked up at the stage door. Parents are free to sit in the house for rehearsals, but please keep in mind that friends and other family members are not permitted to attend. The Dress Rehearsal will be open to a limited number of school and community groups arranged in advance who will be given priority seating.

Yes! There will be volunteer opportunities before the performance week, during the performance week, with the management of costumes, etc. and these will be discussed in detail at the Parent Meeting. Volunteering for a backstage position is a great way to view The Nutcracker from a perspective that you would not otherwise be able to experience!

Stage makeup is required of all dancers. Please be aware that stage makeup should be much stronger and more defined than street makeup to enhance performers’ features under harsh lighting. We recommend that each student get a starter kit of stage makeup. Ben Nye and Mehron both offer high-quality starter kits at a reasonable price.

  • Eyeliner: Black or brown, applied under the eyes in a straight line beginning under the iris and outward to the corner. Eyeliner should not hug the bottom of the eye as it will make eyes small and black from the audience.
  • Eyeshadow: Brown eyeshadow below the eyebrows. NO BLUE, NO GLITTER
  • Blush: Applied over the cheekbones
  • Lipstick: Girls should wear Covergirl Outlast Ever Red-dy #507, or for the very fair: Wine-to-five #538.

Please remove all nail polish before arriving at the theatre.

There are a few roles which require special makeup, some of which we will help to apply backstage.

Soldiers should arrive with basic makeup applied. We will apply mustachios and other features.

Mice should wear basic makeup but without lipstick.

Gingerbreads should not wear blush – we will apply stickers to the cheeks back stage.

Polichinelles should arrive with only eye makeup on. We will apply white face paint and decoration back stage.

RECITAL

The spring recital will take place on May 8, 2021. Shows are performed Friday night, and two shows on Saturday.

All students are expected to participate in the recital in May. Performance experience is considered an integral part of a student’s dance training.

All dancers should attend all classes leading up to the spring recital so that the class piece can be choreographed and taught to all students. It is very difficult for the dancers to learn the dance and proper spacing when fellow classmates are missing classes prior to the recital. The week prior to the recital week is very intense. Dancers will need to be present for blocking (scheduled times on the Saturday and/or Sunday the week prior to the recital), for two evenings during the week prior (one for tech rehearsal, and one for dress rehearsal), and for their assigned shows.

The number of shows a dancer performs in depends on the number, type, and level of classes they participate in. A dancer can perform in anywhere from one to three performances for the spring recital. Level One and Level Two classes will typically perform in one performance per class, while higher level classes may perform the same dance in more than one performance.

Any conflicts with on-stage rehearsals and recital performances must be communicated to the Directors in writing (director@city-ballet.com) no later than December 20, 2016. Any conflicts that arise after this date should be communicated with the dancer’s teacher as soon as possible. Missing rehearsals the week prior to recital makes preparations very difficult for all dancers and the teachers.

Many volunteers are needed in order for the Spring Recital to be possible and successful; assistance from each family ensures an experience in which the dancers come away with feelings of accomplishment. Please plan now to help with the Spring Recital in some way. Possible volunteer positions include, but are not limited to, dressing room parent, floater, seamstress, usher, ticket sales, costume parent, and wrangler. Descriptions of each of the volunteer positions can be found by clicking here or you can direct any questions to Amanda Mueller, our Volunteer Coordinator. Time commitments can range from a few hours one evening, to several hours at all of the rehearsals and/or performances. PLEASE BE PREPARED TO HELP MAKE OUR SPRING RECITAL A SUCCESS!

Sign-up sheets will be available on the parent information board at the studio as we get closer to recital time in addition to Signup Genius .

Girls’ hair should should be pulled into a clean bun at the back of the head – not a “low” bun at the nape, or “high” bun on top of the head. Hairnets and bobby pins are required. Boys’ hair should be neatly combed/brushed and out of their faces, with long hair tied back. All dancers should use gel or hairspray to keep the hair neat and prevent “wispies”.

Stage makeup is required of all dancers. Please be aware that stage makeup should be much stronger and more defined than street makeup to enhance performers’ features under harsh lighting.

  • Eyeliner: Black or brown, applied under the eyes in a straight line beginning under the iris and outward to the corner. Eyeliner should not hug the bottom of the eye as it will make eyes small and black from the audience.
  • Eyeshadow: Brown eyeshadow below the eyebrows. NO BLUE, NO GLITTER
  • Blush: Applied over the cheekbones
  • Lipstick: Girls should wear Covergirl Outlast Ever Red-dy #507, or for the very fair: Wine-to-five #538.

Please remove all nail polish before arriving at the theatre.

ABT® NATIONAL TRAINING CURRICULUM

City Ballet Raleigh is proud to include the AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE® National Training Curriculum, a breakthrough 9 level program that combines high quality artistic training with the basics of dancer health and child development. The ABT® National Training Curriculum consists of a comprehensive set of age-appropriate, outcome-based guidelines to provide the highest quality ballet raining to dance students of all ages and skill levels. Pre-Primary through Level 3 classes will be taught by ABT® Fellow, Andrew Lamar who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 5 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum, and ABT® Certified Teacher Lynne Daehler, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.

Students are not required to take exams in order to progress at City Ballet Raleigh. However, they are an important component of the curriculum and students who participate will find they build technique an confidence more quickly.

Learn more about exams from the ABT NTC website here.

You may ask Andrew for more information concerning the ABT® National Training Curriculum exam. Your child may also participate in the open ABT® National Training Curriculum review classes. Additional exam preparation classes are offered to students chosen to take the exam in order to be successful during the exam process. Attendance is then required for testing at City Ballet.