Nutcracker Children’s Auditions

Volunteer Interest

Our Children’s Cast is powered by volunteers! Volunteer opportunities begin at the start of the rehearsal process and ramp up significantly as we moved into Dress Rehearsals and Performances.

Parent Leadership Team | Cast Leaders, Costume Leader, Hair & Makeup Leader, Marketing Leader

Rehearsal Check In | Safely check in cast members at the studio door and direct them to the appropriate rehearsal studio. Monitoring the office phone.

Marketing, PR & Ticket Sales | Coordinate with the Marketing Director for advertising and PR for stronger ticket sales and merch opportunities.

Costumes | Wardrobe-related projects such as assembling skirts, mending and sewing hems, buttons, and straps, and conducting costume fittings.

Hair & Makeup | Hair styling, makeup ordering, matching and applying

Props | Learn to prepare the props (Nutcrackers, swords, rifles, etc) that dancers take on stage and help inventory, maintain and set them in their appropriate backstage positions.

Should my dancer be accepted into the cast of the 2025 Nutcracker, upon accepting the role and submitting the participation fee, I hereby ensure and understand that:

• The participation fee ($300) is due at the time of the Parent/Guardian Orientation Meeting. If the dancer qualifies for a need-based scholarship, the $25 audition fee will count towards their participation fee scholarship payment.

• Should the dancer, for whatever reason, be unable to participate, withdraw from the production, be dismissed with cause, or be absent from the production, payment will not be refunded.

• All casting decisions are final, however we reserve the right to reassign a role in the event a dancer’s availability changes subsequent to today’s date or at the discretion of the artistic staff.

• Dancers will be cast in approximately 4-8 public performances and 1 daytime school show.

• I must attend the mandatory Nutcracker Parent/Guardian Orientation Meeting on September 20, 2025 at 4:00PM. Parents/Guardians of children who have performed in past JMBT Nutcrackers are also required to attend.

• All roles also require the purchase of a customized make-up kit ($40 to $75, depending on role). I am also required to provide basic costume pieces such as a leotard, tights, and ballet slippers.

• Ballet training and the exercises associated with it can place stresses on the body and can risk physical injury. On behalf of my dancer and myself, I assume this risk and agree that José Mateo Ballet Theatre will not be liable in any way for injuries sustained during participation in the production or related activities.

• I grant José Mateo Ballet Theatre the right to make and use photographic and audiovisual documentation of my dancer to be used for philanthropic, promotional, and other mission related purposes. In no case will the dancer’s identity be disclosed without written parent/guardian consent.

• The primary method of communication from José Mateo Ballet Theatre is email through Constant Contact or Gmail in order to send announcements, including the weekly Nutcracker Notes email, and other pertinent studio information.

José Mateo Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker cast members must:

• Comply with all rules and regulations of José Mateo Ballet Theatre including, but not limited to, dress code, punctuality, and rehearsal/performance etiquette.

• Attend and be on time to all scheduled rehearsals and performances. In the event that an emergency arises, I will make every effort to contact a cast coordinator or staff member to arrange for a substitution and reveal the nature of the emergency. I also understand that missing a rehearsal and/or performance constitutes a valid reason for removing my child from the 2025 Nutcracker Cast.

Failure to comply with these policies may affect a dancer’s eligibility for performance opportunities and need-based scholarships. We understand that some circumstances may make these policies difficult. We ask that you communicate honestly with us about any challenges that may prevent your dancer from participating fully in the production. We will do our very best to work with you to help your dancer to get the most out of the production, and we are thrilled to have them dance with us.

Rehearsal and Performance Availability

The following is a list of all rehearsal and performance dates. Most children, depending on their casting, will NOT have rehearsal on every date listed. Exact rehearsal schedules are announced with acceptance letters.

Most children will perform in 4-8 shows.

Priority casting is given to dancers with availability to attend all rehearsals and performance dates.

Saturday September 6, 2025

JMBT Studios
400 Harvard Street
Cambridge, MA 02138 (in Harvard Square)