New to the Nutcracker? Imagine it’s Christmastime, snowy outside and presents under the tree. You are getting your dancer ready to perform in their first ever Nutcracker: dressing them in their costume, putting on their makeup, sprinkling glitter in their hair. Your family is dressed in their holiday best, grandparents are coming to town and you are all headed to see your darling dancer shine on stage in their first ever Nutcracker performance.
Are you an experienced Nutcracker dancer? Picture yourself: Landing a lead role you’ve always dreamed of - Clara, Sugar Plum Fairy, Snow Queen or the Nutcracker! Envision being challenged in rehearsals by talented, youth-specialized choreographers, collaborating with other passionate dancers like yourself, persevering towards your goal of nailing your performance, and the roar of applause on show night as you dazzle the audience in your jaw-dropping costume and pointe shoes!
You have just experienced the joy of World’s most iconic Holiday Tradition; one that will leave lasting holiday memories on your entire family. Every year hundreds of children ages 4 - 18 from the great Milwaukee Area have come together to spread holiday joy to the community and share in an experience of a lifetime in Wisconsin’s only fully Youth-Casted professional level Nutcracker, where your child is the star of the show.
Brio Studios is the only studio in the Milwaukee area with a focus on youth ballet productions. As a member of the ballet Conservatory, you will have the opportunity to participate in full stage productions and performances!
Here at Brio Studios, there are no tuition or rehearsal fees - simply your costume fee!
You Will Receive:
Participation in A World Class Production, fully youth casted with all roles filled by you: the talented youth dancers of greater Milwaukee
Custom, Ornate Costuming
Technical Training & Choreography
Roles for dancers from Beginning to Pre Professional
Stunning Stage Design & Professional Lighting
Professional Photography
An Unforgettable Family Experience and Memories to Last a Lifetime!
If you dream it, we can make it come to life!
From a tiny dancer, Aeris dreamed of being Clara, twirling with her Nutcracker on stage! Always a committed dancer and a member of Wisconsin’s Ballet Conservatory, Aeris achieved her dreams! Follow below for Aeris’s journey from Preschool to Performer!
Aeris, age 3
Aeris, age 10
Listen to Aeris share her experience as Clara!
Joining the Nutcracker is EASY and FREE!
Open to all dancers in the Community!
Follow below to experience the magic!
Your dancer is welcome here to grow their skills and love of dance. Whether you’re a new dancer auditioning to be a part of the Party Scene or Mouse Battle, or a pointe dancer dreaming of becoming the Sugar Plum Fairy, there is a role for you.
ROLES AVAILABLE WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 26th!
AUDITIONS: Saturday, September 16th
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• It is $50 to reserve your spot to audition. This amount will be applied towards your dancer’s costume fee and is fully refundable.
• There is no cost for Rehearsal Fees
• Costume Fees are determined by your role.
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Costume fees are determined based on roles:
• Ensemble - $125 per costume
• Featured Role - $155
• Supporting Lead - $185
• Principle Role - $225
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• Ages 4 - 18. Students must be 4 years old by audition date to audition.
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• Nope! This is a community based production. Nutcracker brings children from all over Wisconsin together and do what they love…perform! Dancers do not have to be a current member at Brio Studios to audition. Students from the greater Milwaukee area are invited to audition: Brookfield, Sussex, Menomonee Falls, Pewaukee, Waukesha, Hartland, Delafield, Oconomowoc, Wauwatosa, Milwaukee, New Berlin, Shorewood, Whitefish Bay, and beyond are welcome to audition.
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• Because our Nutcracker is fully youth-casted, we have an ample amount of roles for all ages & ability levels available from mice to Clara herself! This means whether you are new to dance or have years of experience, you play an essential role in putting on the show. See our Available Roles under the Audition Section to see what parts would apply for your dancer
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Yes! This is community performance, where children who love dance and performance of all ages, experiences, and home dance studios come to celebrate the Nutcracker. Here, we will facilitate bonding among the cast. Like a “summer camp experience”, your child will make new friends, and memories that last longer than just the holiday season.
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• Placements in featured and principal roles will be determined by ability level and performance quality, while placements for ensemble roles are open to all levels of dancers. Students may be casted in multiple roles.
• Casts average 100 students. Featured & Principal roles may be double casted dependent on the talent level at auditions and to support in the event a child is unable to attend or perform.
• Children will find out their roles within one week after audition dates.
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Auditions will take place on Saturday Sept. 16 with callbacks on Sunday Sept. 17
Audition Day Schedule: Please reference your audition email for updated times!
• Auditions: Call Backs: Callbacks for any students the judges would like to see again will occur on Sunday Sept. 17 in the late morning, early afternoon hours. Parents will receive an email by 5pm Saturday if a call back is being requested and your Sunday callback time.
• When to Arrive: Dancers 7 and under, arrive no earlier than 10 minutes prior to audition time. Dancers 8+ may arrive up to 20 minutes before their audition time for independent warm up time in one of our open studios.
• What to Wear: Please wear a solid colored leotard, pink or white tights, pink ballet slippers, with hair pulled back into a bun.
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Absolutely! Parents are welcome to stay in our lobby during your dancer’s audition time..
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Most dancers audition for 2+ roles In addition to a principal role they are auditioning for.
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There are zero rehearsal fees. There are zero audition fees. There are zero hidden costs.
Families are responsible for costume fee for their dancer and tickets for any spectators that with to attend the production.
Rehearsal Schedule
Full Rehearsal Schedule will be available by the evening of Wednesday Sept. 14 with rehearsals beginning the weekend of Sept. 16 - 18.
Rehearsals will take place on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays from September - December.
Ensemble Roles: Approximately 8 hours rehearsals, over 8-10 dates this fall
Featured Roles: Approximately 15 hours of rehearsals, over 10-12 dates this fall
Principal Roles: Approximately 15-20 hours+ of rehearsals over 15+ dates this fall
Dress Rehearsal: December 5th
Performance Weekend: December 8 - 10th
Rehearsal Location
Rehearsals will be located at Brio Studios, 2945 N Brookfield Rd, Brookfield WI
Dress Rehearsal & Performances located at the Hamilton Fine Arts Center in Sussex, WI.
This is where the magic starts to happen and you see all of your hard work coming to life! Wearing your costume, stepping under those warm stage lights - it’s all coming together! Just a few more sleeps until the big show and nothing is more special than you!
Getting Ready for the Spotlight!
Professional Headshots to commemorate your character!
Custom costuming and tailoring to ensure your costume fits like a glove and allows your individuality to shine!
Professional makeup, allowing you to feel nothing short of the star that you are!
Our goal is to allow you to focus on what you love most - dancing, and celebrating every step of the way!
Your dancer’s talent is elaborated by world class stage design and intricate lighting that provides an experience that is extraordinarily grand. You’ll even enjoy the comic figure of Mother Ginger — 55 pounds and eight feet wide! The costume requires handling by three people once it is lowered over the dancer's head!
December 9 - December 11
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• Saturday December 9th, Sunday December 10th . Exact performance times will be released by the first week of October.
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• Performances: The Gorgeous Hamilton Fine Arts Center in Sussex, Wisconsin
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• Tickets will be available starting in late September or early October. More information to come in early September.
• Dancers’ Families will have the option to purchase 2 weeks before it is opened up to the community.
• Sharing the art of dance with the community is deeply valued here at Brio Studios! For years we have been serving the community with sold out productions, allowing families traditional festivities to experience the joy of the season through the beautiful lens of our youth!
Originally from Beaver Dam, WI, Lily Edgar started dancing at the age of 4. In 2010 she transferred to the School of Madison Ballet to continue her ballet training. At the age of 18 she joined Madison Ballet, one of two professional companies in Wisconsin, where she danced professionally until April of this year, and performed in Madison Ballet productions on Overture Stage for over a decade. Some of her favorite roles include ‘Clara’ in a brand-new Nutcracker production choreographed by Sara Stewert Schuman in 2021. This role was especially special to Ms. Edgar as the role was choreographed for her by Schuman. She had the pleasure of performing various other roles and productions, notably so ‘Orange Girl’ soloist in ‘Birthday Variations’, by Gerald Arpino, Lucy in Eddy Brays ‘Dracula’ with Mainstage Academy, and many other featured roles in ballets, including ‘A Midsummer’s Night's Dream’ and ‘Cinderella’ with Madison Ballet.