NUTCRACKER FAQs

Who is eligible to participate in TDL's Nutcracker?
Students of all ages are welcome to participate (ages 3 through adult!).  All students must be registered in at least one technique class at our studio in addition to their registration for The Nutcracker rehearsals on Saturdays.  This is so that students can continue to develop their technical skills since Nutcracker rehearsals will focus on applying skills within a performance rather than teaching technique.    

How is this Nutcracker unique?
The Dance Loft is known throughout Long Island for our artistic vision and versatility, and we are proud to have a staff of professionals who are each at the top of their respective crafts.  While most renditions of The Nutcracker feature only ballet, our Nutcracker will feature a variety of genres--ballet/pointe, tap, jazz, hip-hop, acro, and modern.  We debuted our Nutcracker in 2024 to rave reviews, and what was intended to be a one-off project to celebrate our studio’s 40th Anniversary season became a vision to bring The Nutcracker to Long Beach every other winter. You've truly never seen a Nutcracker like this before!  This year’s Nutcracker will feature new pieces and returning favorites, and students who have participated before will have the opportunity to dance in brand new pieces and sections. Performances will be child-friendly and will run roughly an hour in length.

When will The Nutcracker rehearse and what is the attendance policy?
Rehearsals will be held on Saturdays between the hours of 12:00 and 3:00 PM at The Dance Loft (160 W. Park). Most students will not be called for the whole 3-hour block.  Our youngest students (ages 3-5) will be called weekly from 12:00-1:00 PM only. Students 6+ will be able to choose how much time they would like to commit based on their availability and interest and will be cast accordingly.  Rehearsals will take place in September, October, November, and early December.  Students are expected to attend at least 80% of rehearsals so that they are sufficiently prepared to perform. Occasionally, rehearsals for specific pieces in the show will take place outside of the regular Saturday rehearsal timeslot, but we will work around student availability.

When are tech/dress rehearsals?
For any large-scale performance, tech/dress rehearsals are essential to make sure a show runs seamlessly.  We will plan to have mandatory tech/dress rehearsals at the end of November and beginning of December (exact dates/times TBA). They will be held at the location of our performance venue, 75 E. Walnut Street in Long Beach, and we will ask parents for potential conflicts before scheduling any mandatory rehearsals.

When and where are performances?   
Our sister program, Professional Youth Theatre, maintains a lovely theater space right in the heart of Long Beach (the PYT Ballroom Theater), and we will be performing our Nutcracker there (75 E. Walnut Street).  Our tentative performance dates will take place between Saturday, December 5th and Sunday, December 13th. If your child has an unmissable conflict within this date range but would still like to participate, please just let us know and we will do our best to work around the conflict.  

What is the participation fee?
For students age 6 and above, the participation fee is $150 per month billed September through December. This fee covers six to twelve hours of rehearsal per month depending on a student's involvement, multiple tech/dress rehearsals, and supervision during and in between all Nutcracker performances. The participation fee for students ages 3-5 is $99 per month billed September through December. This fee covers four hours of rehearsal per month, multiple tech/dress rehearsals, and supervision during and in between all Nutcracker performances.

What is the costume/media fee?
Most students will be in more than one section of The Nutcracker and will have a costume for each role they play.  Costumes will be billed separately from the participation fee, but efforts will be made to purchase costumes as affordably as possible.  We will also work with our Parent Committee to coordinate fundraising efforts to keep costume costs as low as possible.  Students will keep all costumes. There will be a required $25 media fee per student that will provide parents with access to hundreds of beautiful professional pictures taken by our official TDL and PYT photographer, Dennis Guerrero (see above for just a few of the amazing photos he took during our 2024 production). Parents will also receive access to wide-angle video taken of the production (non-professional). Personal photography and videography (non-flash) is permitted during the performance, but we kindly ask that parents be mindful of other guests and not hold up devices.

How much are tickets and how can I reserve them?
Tickets will be $40 each, and reservations for tickets will open on our website in mid-September.  The capacity for our theater space is roughly 150 seats, and every seat offers an excellent vantage point.  Seating is by general admission. We will be having multiple performances in order to give all who wish to come a chance to see this spectacular show!  As a thank you to parents who volunteer to help out before/after two of our performances, you will have the opportunity to pre-select a two-seat block at two performances of your choosing (four seats total) before the house opens to the general public. We will email more details about volunteering and the ‘perks’ as we get closer to the show.

When are auditions and how do they work?
All TDL students who wish to take part in The Nutcracker will be in it!  'Auditions' are necessary in order for us to place a student in the appropriate level and genres.  No student will be 'cut' - we feel that all of our students are receiving the necessary technique to take on this challenge!   Auditions will be taking place on Friday, September 11th and Saturday, September 12th (time TBA) at Professional Youth Theatre (75 E. Walnut). Students will have the option of attending on the 11th OR 12th—they will not have to attend both days. If your child is unable to make it to either of these dates but would like to participate, please let us know by the beginning of September and we will make alternative arrangements for an audition.  We will provide more details about auditions later this summer.

How do I sign up?
Registration for our school-year classes and The Nutcracker is open! Please click here to register online.  If you have any questions before registering, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at danceloftlb@gmail.com.  Thank you!

We look forward to a beautiful show and wonderful season!