What does a Moscow Ballet Nutcracker do in the off season? The company of Moscow Ballet dancers typically return to their homes in Russia. These professional dancers are constantly training or performing across the globe. And what about your dancers?

If you have a student dancer at home, then you know that after recitals are over there’s no need to stop dancing when the curtain comes up on summer! In fact, it’s an excellent time to take advantage of special dance activities and camps --- as well as prepare your dancers for a Dance-with-Us role in Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker.

Yes, that’s right: Moscow Ballet’s Dance-with-Us program invites local dance schools in every city on the tour to participate in the acclaimed performance of the Great Russian Nutcracker. Local children who audition have the opportunity to dance alongside some the greatest ballerinas and danseurs in the world.

So where do you start? Here’s how to prepare for the summer:

1.         LEARN: Read more about Moscow Ballet’s renowned Dance-with-Us program, where children across North America audition, rehearse, and dance alongside international touring company.

Click to learn more and explore Dance-With-Us

2.         FOLLOW:  If your children would like to audition, you’ll want to be sure to visit our website and follow Moscow Ballet on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram, where we will announce audition dates in every tour city across North America.    

Check our website and follow us for audition announcements in your city – COMING SOON

3.         PRACTICE! Sign up for summer classes at your local dance studio! Professional dancers typically rehearse six to seven hour each day, six days a week. Likewise, the children who appear in the Great Russian Nutcracker have a special passion for performing. The Moscow Ballet  Dance-with-Us program requires that students who audition have at least one year of ballet experience. 

4.         DARE TO GO DEEP: If your child feels ready for a deeply enriching summer program, there are many to explore. For example, the Bossov Ballet Theater (affiliated with the Maine Central Institute, located in central Maine) offers intensive one-week and five-week summer programs. The Bossov’s instructors include Moscow Ballet’s dancers, Sergey Chumakov and Elena Petrichenko, who perform together in the Great Russian Nutcracker as the stunning duo that adjoin as the Doves of Peace and more roles. 

Summer dance programs similar to the Bossov’s are offered throughout the United States and Canada.  While not every dance institution can offer the caliber of Sergey and Elena’s experience, there are many renowned programs across the country, especially with the resurgent interest in ballet as a primary factor in developing children’s confidence and social development.

5.         DREAM! Sometimes summer is simply the time when everyone in the family needs time to play, whether that be a simple vacation, or a break from the rigor of children’s regularly scheduled activities. If that sounds like you, just remember: There is only one dance step you really need to do this summer, and that’s get your tickets NOW to see the Great Russian Nutcracker. The tour, which travels to 125 cities, is currently on sale and tickets often sell out early.  Walk, run, or grand jete your way to www.nutcracker.com to get your tickets today.  Enjoy the summer, and we’ll see you at the theater – or maybe even on stage!