Dance Explosion School of Performing Arts

THE NUTCRACKER INFORMATION

Begining December 2016, DESPA will host an annual performance of the Nutcracker. The performance will take place at the studio on a Sunday in December. Usually the third or second weekend. The Nutcracker will include scenes such as the Party Scene, The Snow Scene, and variations from Act 2; The Land of the Sweets.

 

The Nutcracker requires auditions for parts. The auditions will take place for 2016 in September. Times will be announced  August 20th. The Nutcracker auditions are open to dancers ages 6 and up. Dancers are to wear their hair in a bun, pink tights, a black leotard and pink ballet shoes as they perform a ballet class and a brief variation for a pannel of judges. If your child is en pointe, there will be a pointe section as well. Emails will be distributed the night after auditions.

 

Rehearsals for the Nutcracker will take place on Sunday afternoons from 4-8 in October and November depending on the pieces that children are cast in. Costumes will be provided for the show. The show will be from 9:30-11. Show date will be released in September.
 

NUTCRACKER TEA INFORMATION

Each year, Dance Explosion School of Performing Arts hosts a Nutcracker Tea. A Nutcracker Tea is an afternoon out at that studio that the children have where they not only learn about The Nutcracker, but get to experience a day of laughter as they have fun not only dancing and spending time with their friends, but get to experience the magic that the tale/ballet The Nutcracker itself really does have!

 

The tea takes place on a Sunday in December from 12-3 PM. For 2016, it will follow the performance of our ballet, The Nutcracker. The date of the tea is usually released the first week of November. During the tea, children are given the oppourtunity to meet some of the characters from the Nutcracker (including Clara, The Sugar Plum Fairy, and the Dew Drop Fairy), create fun Nutcracker themed crafts, get autographs from all the characters present at the tea, as well as eat wonderful Nutcracker treats (such as the original cake created specifcally for the studio by Tonya Rash of Cakes, Cakes, and More Cakes featured on this page)! Children also get the oppourtunity to take part in a Nutcracker raffle where they can win gifts such as Clara's Nutcracker, The Snow Queen's wand, and The Sugar Plum Fairy's pointe shoes. The wonderful thing about this raffle is that every child leaves the tea with a rafflle gift!

 

During the tea, the children will be able to hear the tale of the Nutcracker with action shots from the ballet in the book. To accompany the story, the children will get the oppourtunity to see variations New York City Ballet's The Nutcracker created by George Balanchine! This is a great way for them to not only tie together what they just read to what they are watching, but see the beauty of performing and recongize steps from their own dance classes!

  

Children also are able to learn a variation from the Nutcracker! A variation is a small dance apart of a larger ballet. Each variation is created originally by Ms. Melanie specifically for the tea itself! At the end of the tea, between the last seven and ten minutes, the dancers will be able to perform the variation that they learned during the tea all together along with the Nutcracker cast members for their families and friends! Featured on this page, is the video of 2015 variation from our 2nd annual Nutcracker Tea! The children were Mother Ginger's Gingersnaps! Enjoy the clip!

  

The Nutcracker Tea is $10 a child and requires an RSVP. To reserve your spot for our 3rd annual Nutcracker Tea in December 2016, please email the studio at DanceExplosionandEvents@yahoo.com or call the studio at (336) 749-1494.