Moscow Ballet Holds Auditions August 27th for Chicago Dancers Ages 7-17

Online, August 11, 2013 (Newswire.com) - The Moscow Ballet will hold open auditions for talented young dancers ages 7-17 to perform in their annual Chicago production of "The Great Russian Nutcracker." Auditions begin at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 27, 2013, at the Southport Performing Arts Conservatory (SPACE) located at 3433-37 W. Peterson Ave., Chicago. The audition is open to talented boys and girls ages 7-17 that have at least two years of ballet training and are no more than five feet tall.

Selected dancers will appear in ancillary roles alongside the full corps of Russian dancers in the Moscow Ballet's December 8, 2013, production of "The Great Russian Nutcracker" held at the Rosemont Theatre in Rosemont, Illinois.

A $10 audition fee and registration are required. For more information contact the SPACE office at 773-463-1220, visit http://www.southportarts.com or email [email protected].

The audition schedule is as follows: 4:30 p.m.: ages 7-8 years old; 6:00 p.m.: ages 9-11 years old; 7:30 p.m.: ages 12-17 years old. Applicants must be dressed in ballet attire and bring pointe shoes if on pointe. Children auditioning must be able to commit to a rehearsal and performance schedule.

"Children play an important part in this time-honored holiday classic," said Southport Performing Arts Conservatory's Artistic Director Altin Naska who has overseen the Chicago-area open auditions and rehearsals for the Moscow Ballet's annual production of "The Great Russian Nutcracker" for the past seven years. "The opportunity to dance with professionals in such a high-profile holiday event creates a lifetime of indelible memories for young dancers."

"The Great Russian Nutcracker" performance will also feature Christmas carols sung by selected choir students from the Southport Performing Arts Conservatory before the performance and during the intermission. Choir rehearsals are held once a week on Saturdays for 10 weeks starting September 28, 2013.

The Moscow Ballet's "The Great Russian Nutcracker" is the unique telling of the classic story of Masha (Clara) and her Nutcracker Doll told with true Russian flair. The whimsical fantasy of Moscow Ballet's "The Great Russian Nutcracker" is legendary with the piece firmly enshrined as a Christmas staple for audiences across the country and in Canada. Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky's beloved "Nutcracker Suite" and Moscow Ballet's company of 40 Vaganova-trained dancers are the perfect combination for a holiday celebration for all.