Rehearsals for Levels 4 and up start Monday, September 15. Rehearsals for Levels 1, 2 and 3 will start the last Saturday of September, and will continue for six Saturdays:

• September 27

• October 4

• October 25

• November 1

• November 8

• November 15

Remember that this year rehearsals will be scheduled between 12:30-4:30pm (exact time will depend on your role, and will sometimes vary from week-to-week). If you miss your rehearsal you will be required to complete a private lesson to make-up the work you missed.

Then, we will have dress rehearsals on November 22, December 4 and December 5 - with performances on Saturday, December 6 and Sunday, December 7.

 

The detailed information that was provided to you at enrollment is listed below:

The 2025 Project Ballet Nutcracker will be performed at the Embassy Theatre, downtown Fort Wayne on December 6 & 7, 2025. This registration is only for Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3. (Dancers in Level 4 and up are automatically included in the Nutcracker, it is part of your all-inclusive tuition.) There will be two casts - a Saturday cast and a Sunday cast. Dancers in Levels 1 and 2 are assigned to just one cast - Saturday OR Sunday. Dancers in Level 3 receive two roles (meaning their name appears on the cast list two times).. Sometimes Level 3 dancers have two roles in one cast, sometimes Level 3 dancers are in both casts. It depends on which roles you receive and whether or not a costume change, mid-show, is possible.

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Performance roles are assigned based on many factors including ability, previous experience, level and age. Height and clothing size are also deciding factors for certain roles, due to costuming restrictions. Roles are determined by the Artistic Director, with significant input from the faculty. We do not hold auditions for Levels 1, 2 and 3. Roles are assigned based on your child's performance in class over the summer and during the first few weeks of fall classes.​ It is expected that students will accept their assigned role(s) with grace. All roles, no matter how small, are critical to the production as a whole. Poor attitude or complaining about casting will impact future roles. Please note that many "male" roles in the Nutcracker are assigned to female students, such as soldiers, party boys, Russian boys, etc. Please prepare your child that they may be playing a gender neutral or "male" role.

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IMPORTANT DATES

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The SATURDAY cast will have the following very important dates:

• Six practice rehearsals scheduled between 12:30-4:30pm on the following six Saturdays: September 27, October 4, October 25, November 1, November 8, November 15

• Saturday, November 22 - Your in-studio dress rehearsal will be scheduled in the morning and early afternoon between approx. 10:00am-2:00pm. Exact time will depend on what role you are assigned.

• Friday, December 5 - Your theater dress rehearsal, at the Embassy, will be scheduled after 3:00pm and could go as late as 9:00pm. Exact time will depend on what role you are assigned and what level you are. (We try to dismiss younger children earlier in the evening.)

• Saturday, December 6 - You will perform at 2:00pm and 7:00pm at the Embassy. Your call times will be 1-2 hours before show time, depending on role and level. 

• Note: Project Ballet is closed from October 10-19 for Fall Break and from November 26-30 for Thanksgiving.

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The SUNDAY cast will have the following very important dates:

• Six practice rehearsals scheduled between 12:30-4:30pm on the following six Saturdays: September 27, October 4, October 25, November 1, November 8, November 15

• Saturday, November 22 - Your in-studio dress rehearsal will be scheduled in the afternoon and early evening between approx. 2:00-6:00pm. Exact time will depend on what role you are assigned.

• Thursday, December 4 - Your theater dress rehearsal, at the Embassy, will be scheduled after 3:00pm and could go as late as 9:00pm. Exact time will depend on what role you are assigned and what level you are. (We try to dismiss younger children earlier in the evening.)

• Sunday, December 7 - You will perform at 1:00pm and 6:00pm at the Embassy. Your call times will be 1-2 hours before show time, depending on role and level. 

• Note: Project Ballet is closed from October 10-19 for Fall Break and from November 26-30 for Thanksgiving.​

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PERFORMANCE FEE

Participating in the Nutcracker is $150. This participation fee covers the cost of rehearsals and backstage staffing, etc. You will need to make a minimum $50 deposit towards this fee when you sign-up to be a cast member. Please note that the $150 fee is non-refundable even if your dancer later changes their mind and decides not to participate. Please make sure your child is committed before signing up.

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DETAILED REHEARSAL SCHEDULE

The detailed rehearsal schedule is posted on the PB web calendar (https://www.huntcal.com/cal/view/NAYB/NAYB) each Sunday for the coming week. Rehearsal times will not necessarily be consistent from week-to-week, and it is critical that all cast members log in on Sunday to double check their rehearsal times for the upcoming week. Rehearsals are generally called by role, rather than student name, such as "Little Mice" or "Russian'.  

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ABSENCE

Students who need to miss a rehearsal due to illness, or other unavoidable conflict, will ALWAYS have to schedule a private lesson (scheduled before the next rehearsal) to get caught up on missed material. This private lesson is an additional cost. Please be aware that, despite the staff's best efforts, there may be certain situations where even one absence will result in your student having to be dismissed from the cast. Absolutely every effort will be made to avoid this situation, however no-call/no-show, habitual absence or missing an important rehearsal such as the dress rehearsal, will compromise your child's ability to perform their role successfully on stage.

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INJURY POLICY

Students who are injured and unable to dance must observe their rehearsal to meet their attendance requirement. Once recovered, we will have to schedule a private lesson (or lessons) to get the student up to speed. Private lessons are an additional cost. Please be aware that, despite the staff's best efforts, there may be certain situations where a dancer may be dismissed from the cast due to an injury that would take them out of commission for the majority of the rehearsal period.

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TARDY POLICY

Students who are habitually tardy to rehearsals will be required to schedule a private lesson to make-up the rehearsal time they missed. Private lessons are an additional cost.

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SUPPLIES

Dancers must provide their own tights, shoes, leotards, earrings and undergarments for performances. The required items will vary depending on your dancer's role(s), and will likely be different from what your child wears for their ballet classes. A costume supply list will be provided in October and all supplies must be purchased and ready for use at the first dress rehearsal on November 22. Failing to provide the required items for your child may result in Project Ballet having to purchase the required supplies on your behalf and billing you for the cost of the items.

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COSTUMES

Project Ballet owns and provides all costumes and costume pieces. Cast members must show respect and care for their assigned costume. Dancers may never eat or drink in costume (with the exception of water), may not throw costumes on the floor, and are expected to help return their costume to its hanger or storage place after rehearsals and performances. Negligence or disrespect that results in damage to the costume will result in a fine equal to the cost of repair or replacement. 

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ADDITIONAL COSTS

Project Ballet works with third party vendors to provide you with opportunities to purchase professional pictures of your child in costume,  a Blu Ray DVD of the performance, a cast member t-shirt, and flower bouquets. All of these costs are entirely optional and will be communicated with you via email as due dates approach.

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TICKETS

The Nutcracker is performed at the Embassy Theatre, which is a Ticketmaster venue. Project Ballet sets our ticket prices based on the revenue needed to support our production costs and related operational costs. The Embassy and Ticketmaster then add on facility and ticketing fees. You can avoid paying some of the fees by purchasing your tickets in person at the Embassy Box Office rather than online. PB's ticket pricing for 2025 will begin at just $15 each (before theater/Ticketmaster fees). NOTE THAT PREMIUM TICKETS (FRONT ROWS) WILL NOT GO ON SALE UNTIL MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22. This is to give our families some time to decide which show(s) they will be attending and then get first dibs on premium seating. The Embassy Box Office is open from 10am to 6pm Monday-Friday. The front rows will sell out quickly on Monday, September 22.

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WITHDRAWING FROM THE CAST

If your dancer needs to withdraw from the performance, for any reason (including relocation or scheduling conflicts that prevent your child from meeting the attendance requirement), their performance participation fee will not be refunded. 

 

SIBLINGS IN PREPARATORY

Younger siblings who are enrolled in our fall Preparatory Ballet classes will also have the opportunity to sign-up to be in the Nutcracker. Sign-ups for these levels will be at the end of September. Their rehearsals will also be on Saturday afternoons, but they will not start until October 25. We will coordinate to make sure that your younger siblings are assigned to the same cast that you are in. No worries!