2026 Student Registration
for “The San Jose Nutcracker”
Enrolled Student Participation Requirements
Eligibility
Students must be currently enrolled in New Ballet School’s Junior Pre-Professional Division (Levels 1A–3B) or Junior Flex to participate.
Availability and Performance Commitment
Students should ideally have 100% availability for all Theatre Rehearsals and Performances. This year, Nutcracker performances run from December 19–27. Because of the extended performance period and the fact that many families make holiday plans during this time, we plan to accommodate conflicts on December 26 and 27. Please list these conflicts on your registration form and prioritize participation on these dates whenever possible.
We plan to have multiple casts, so students are not expected to perform in every show or be called to every Theatre Rehearsal. However, students must be available to be cast or called for any of them.
All performing students will also serve as understudies for other students performing the same role and, in some cases, for additional roles. For this reason, students should remain available for all Theatre Rehearsal and Performance times, even when they are not initially scheduled to perform.
Theatre Rehearsal and Performance Conflicts
Before December 26, we may be able to accommodate up to:
One Theatre Rehearsal conflict
Two Performance conflicts
If your student has any Theatre Rehearsal or Performance conflicts, please email school@newballet.com before registering and paying the participation fee. We will let you know whether the conflicts can be accommodated and whether your student is eligible to participate.
Please carefully review school calendars, choir concerts, extracurricular activities, family travel, and other commitments before registering. Even conflicts that fall within the guidelines above may affect casting or, in some circumstances, make participation impossible.
Theatre Rehearsal or Performance conflicts disclosed after registration may result in a student being unable to perform, in which case the participation fee cannot be refunded.
In-Studio Rehearsal Conflicts
Please list all known In-Studio Rehearsal conflicts on your student’s registration form.
Up to three In-Studio Rehearsal conflicts may generally be accommodated with approval for Mice and Cherries. Up to five In-Studio Rehearsal conflicts may generally be accomodated with approval for Party Children. More than these numbers of conflicts may prevent a student from being cast, even when those conflicts are disclosed during registration.
If your student is not included in Preliminary Casting because of excessive conflicts that were fully disclosed during registration, the participation fee will be refunded.
Conflicts disclosed after Preliminary Casting has been posted may result in the student being unable to participate, in which case the participation fee cannot be refunded.
If you have questions about whether your student’s conflicts can be accommodated, please contact school@newballet.com before registering. It is our goal to accomodate as many students as possible, so please email us with any conflicts, even if they are over the amount stipulated.
Absences and Casting Changes
Conflicts and absences may affect casting, even when they were disclosed in advance, excused, or unavoidable.
If a student misses rehearsals because of illness, injury, family circumstances, or other reasons, casting may need to be changed. In some cases, a student may ultimately be unable to perform if they have missed too much rehearsal time to learn and perform the choreography safely and confidently.
If a student is unable to perform because of conflicts or missed rehearsals that occur after registration, the participation fee cannot be refunded.
Number of Performances
The number of performances in which each student appears depends on many factors, including the student’s role, available costumes, choreography, casting needs, and the number of students who register.
Students will likely perform in approximately 3–7 of the 14 scheduled performances, depending on their role and the needs of the production.
Because students also serve as understudies, they should remain available for performances for which they have not listed an approved conflict, even if they are not initially scheduled to perform.
Sibling and Carpool Requests
If you would like your student to be assigned to the same cast as a sibling or carpool partner, please email school@newballet.com as soon as possible.
We will make every effort to accommodate these requests, but we cannot guarantee that students will be assigned to the same cast. Depending on casting needs, we may be able to accommodate a request fully, partially, or not at all.
Preliminary Casting
Preliminary Casting will be emailed to families by September 28.
Preliminary Casting indicates the role or roles a student will begin learning. Casting may be modified after the first or second rehearsal based on the needs of the production.
Performance Casting
Performance Casting will be announced by November 1.
Please do not purchase tickets to watch your student until Performance Casting has been released, so that you can purchase tickets for the correct performance(s).
Once Performance Casting is announced, it cannot be changed by family request. We cannot alter casting to accommodate extracurricular activities, family events, preferred performance dates, or similar requests.
“The San Jose Nutcracker” is a significant time commitment, and we understand that not every family can accommodate the schedule. Please review all rehearsal and performance dates carefully before completing the Nutcracker Student Registration Form.
Performance Casting may still be changed by New Ballet staff after it is posted because of illness, injury, emergencies, or other unforeseen circumstances. If New Ballet makes such a change, the box office will work with families to exchange previously purchased tickets when necessary.
Please continue to keep your student available for all performance dates for which you have not listed an approved conflict, even after Performance Casting has been announced.
Students may also be called to the theatre on short notice if another student performing the same role becomes unexpectedly unavailable. Please be prepared for this possibility.
Shoes, Tights, and Leotards
Depending on their role, students may be required to purchase additional shoes, tights, and/or leotards for the production.
Roles in “The San Jose Nutcracker”
Casting
Students in each level will generally be considered for the roles listed under “Schedules by Class Level” in the links below. Casting is based on many factors, including ability, maturity, readiness, and appropriateness for each role. All casting decisions are made at the sole discretion of the Artistic Staff, and requests to reconsider or change casting will not be considered.
Understudies
Some students may be assigned to understudy roles in addition to roles they are cast to perform. Understudies are an important part of the production and should attend all rehearsals for the roles they are understudying, even when they are not scheduled to perform those roles.
Understudying provides students with additional opportunities to learn choreography, develop versatility, and be prepared to step into a role when needed. We ask families to help students understand the importance and value of being selected as an understudy.
A Positive Approach to Casting
Every role contributes to the success of “The San Jose Nutcracker,” and every student’s participation is important to the production as a whole. We ask families to help students approach casting announcements positively and understand that casting decisions reflect the needs of the entire production, rather than serving as a ranking of individual dancers.
If you feel that you or your student will have difficulty approaching the casting process positively and supporting the Artistic Staff’s decisions, please carefully consider whether participation in “The San Jose Nutcracker” is the right choice for your family.
Rehearsal Schedule
Rehearsals will generally take place on the days and during the time ranges listed under “Schedules by Class Level” in the links below. Students should be available for all rehearsal times listed for the roles for which their level may be considered before committing to participate in “The San Jose Nutcracker.”
Specific rehearsal times may change as the production progresses. Families should be prepared for Saturday and Sunday rehearsal times between October and December to shift by up to a few hours when necessary, although significant schedule changes are not anticipated.
