BTC will be hosting community auditions in September for this year’s performance of ‘The Nutcracker’ as well as for membership in the Corps de Ballet.

BTC 2017 production of The Nutcracker. Photo credit: Thomas Giroir (courtesy photo)

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Ballet Theatre Company (BTC), West Hartford’s premiere ballet company, will host auditions for their 17th annual production of The Nutcracker on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, beginning at 11 a.m.

Dancers ages 5 and above are encouraged to audition for age-appropriate roles. Those with strong training en pointe and looking for pre-professional performing experience are encouraged to also audition for BTC’s Corps de Ballet on Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018 beginning at 11 a.m.

Auditions will take place at BTC’s studios located at 20 Jefferson Ave., West Hartford, CT 06119. Audition times, registration and more information can be found online at www.dancebtc.org. An audition fee of $20 per participant will be collected at sign-in for both auditions.

The Nutcracker will premiere Wednesday, Dec. 12 and run through Sunday, Dec. 16 at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford. This season, BTC’s Artistic Director, Stephanie Dattellas, will set a new version of the classic holiday favorite rendering many new performing opportunities for dancers of all ages.

Dattellas, who joined BTC in June of 2017 from the Syracuse City Ballet, is a talented and well respected choreographer bringing humor, magic and, most importantly, beauty to the stage. Her version of the beloved ballet, Cinderella, was most recently premiered at the University of Saint Joseph this past spring leaving sold out audiences fully entertained. A mesmerized viewer wrote, “I felt a sparkle of pride and exhilaration that creativity and talent is alive and well in West Hartford.”

This year, BTC is proud to announce the inauguration of their very own Corps de Ballet which will consist of aspiring dancers who wish to train at a higher caliber, experience professional dance at a young age, and be prepared for a future in dance if they so choose. Auditions for BTC’s Corps de Ballet will take place on Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018, at the BTC Studios in West Hartford beginning at 11 a.m. Dancers auditioning will be given a class en pointe, corps ensemble repertoire both classical and contemporary, and a classical variation.

Corps de Ballet dancers rehearse repertoire, are given several performance opportunities, and are exposed to studio choreographic processes not only by BTC’s artistic staff, but guest artists throughout the year. Members may also be considered for the opportunity to dance alongside professional dancers in BTC’s two seasonal full length productions.

Ballet Theatre Company is thrilled to celebrate 20 years for the upcoming 2018-19 season. Since its founding in 1999, BTC has staged more than 75 ballet productions, has trained nearly 1,000 aspiring dancers, and has made dance accessible to more than 10,000 underserved Greater Hartford children.

BTC is proudly sponsored in part by the generous support of The Greater Hartford Arts Council, The Department of Economic and Community Development, Connecticut Office of the Arts, and The Delamar West Hartford.

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BTC spring performance of Cinderella featuring the Season Corps. Photo credit: Thomas Giroir (courtesy photo)