Nutcracker Youth Auditions 2026

Be sure to pay the audition fee and complete the form before the day of the audition.

Children should arrive no more than 15 minutes prior to their audition time.

All Children will be measured to get their exact height before the audition.

Each child auditioning will be assigned an audition number at check in.

Only water is allowed in the audition studio.

Children will be directed to a waiting area until their audition starts.

Children should sit quietly in the waiting area.

After the audition is completed, the children will be released to their parent.

• Yes, there is a small fee of $20.

An email will be sent from Nutcracker.info@sacballet.org by September 13. If you do not receive an email by this date, before contacting the Nutcracker Team, please be sure to check your spam/junk folder.

You must accept or decline a role by September 20, 2026. If you do not fill the form out, we will assume you are forfeiting your offer.

A link to the form to accept or decline will be sent in your offer email.

Once a dancer is cast in a specific role, we are unable to change that role. Please trust that the directors in charge of the production have years of experience, and have cast each dancer in the role which best suits them, and the whole production. Furthermore, the commitment and performance from dancers in each role plays a pivotal part in contributing toward making this a world-class production, from the smallest cloud up to the sugar plum fairy.

A/B/C refers to roles that are triple casted such as Clouds, Cooks, and Mice who will perform 1 third of shows. Opening/ Closing refers to role such as Party girl/boy or Mushroom that are double casted and perform roughly half of the shows. Please note this year students in the closing cast will get 1 additional performance.

No. It is common throughout the ballet world for children to play roles of opposite genders or even animals in productions.

Participating in Sacramento Ballet’s Nutcracker is much more than performing in a production. Students have the valuable opportunity to work closely with professional faculty through many hours of studio and theater rehearsals, developing their technique, artistry, musicality, discipline, and confidence. They gain firsthand experience with the rehearsal and performance process while learning what it means to be part of a professional ballet production with live music.

Nutcracker fees help support professional instruction, extensive rehearsal time, theater expenses, costumes that are often altered specifically for each student, and the many production resources that make this meaningful experience possible.

Please note that financial aid is available for families who may need assistance with these fees. Financial Aid Scholarship Request Form

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns please don’t hesitate to reach out to us!

– Genevieve Szaly Youth Rehearsal Director Gszaly@sacballet.org

– Dr. Kiera Anderson Executive Director Ed@sacballet.org