Things you should know right from the start
Please be advised that children who are only in Act 1 and Angels will not be in the curtain call at the end of the ballet.  If your child is in only one act you must purchase a ticket for them if they want to watch the other act from the front. (Bardavon rule)

Please be advised that children may not wear eyeglasses on stage without prior permission from Peter & Lisa. Please be advised that understudy roles must be attended for you to keep your performing roles.

Nutcracker Guidelines
All rehearsals except for the final Dress Rehearsal are at the New Paltz School of Ballet. Dress Rehearsal is at the Bardavon Opera House, 35 Market Street, Poughkeepsie, on Wednesday December 9th after school.  More details will follow.

Check the schedule each week either here at the Company Schedule Link or at the Studio. Changes in the rehearsal schedule can occur weekly.

When contracts are signed you will pay a $25.00 deposit (cash only) per costume. You will get this deposit back when your costume is returned (with all the pieces) in January cleaned by (the company cleaner (TBA)), cleaning tags still attached. You will get more information on this process later.

The actual performance dates are listed on the Company Schedule Link.

Remember, you may not miss rehearsals. If you do you may be replaced. We do not want ill & contagious children at rehearsals and of course we understand when these things happen, however we have a huge production to get onto the stage in just 10 rehearsal weekends, and we cannot let anything cause us to become behind schedule. We have an obligation to The Bardavon and the level of performances we give and we always put that fact first.

Cast members behavior must be quiet & dignified at all times. We do not cast children next year who are not respectful & courteous this year. We have also removed children from the show before they've even gotten on stage because of  lateness to rehearsals, rudeness, or general bad behavior. We have a second strike and your out policy. As you know from reading the above paragraph, we are on a time schedule & do not have a moment to spare for teaching good behavior. Dancers should walk out of their homes (or at least into our building) with their best manners on and their respect in full gear.

Warning--Parents, do not stick your head into the studio & try to ask us something while we are working, you just might get it bitten off!  You may always email us, leave a note in the tuition box or leave a phone message for us to call you if you have questions.  Also we ask that only Board Members enter the office area without invitation.

Remember!!!
Children & Adults who are only in "Party Scene" only do the 3 public performances on Saturday & Sunday.

Nutcracker Tickets will be handled again like last year.
You will be given an order form with envelope when you sign your contract. You may place your order beginning Monday October 12th (not before). Leave your form with full payment, in the envelope provided, in the school’s Tuition Box. The envelopes will be stamped with the date of receipt at the end of each day. Tickets will be distributed best seats first, according to the dates they come in. We will give cast members 2 full weeks to order before opening sales to the rest of the school. Your tickets will be given out in rehearsals so make sure you ask your children if they received them. We will not hold tickets for anyone whose full payment was not received in full with the order.  
Remember casting always changes in the first 2 weeks, based on whether people commit or not.  Therefore, which date your child performs which roles changes as  well. Don’t rush out and buy your tickets too early.  If your child’s parts & performance dates are rearranged we will not be able to rearrange your ticket order accordingly.

When you buy tickets at the school you are buying them at a lower price and supporting New Paltz Ballet Theatre, as the Bardavon gives the company a kickback on each ticket we sell.

Bardavon Rules
Be advised that you may not under any circumstances use the front entrance of The Bardavon for Dress Rehearsal. All performers and parents must enter & exit at the stage door at all times. Do not arrange to pickup your children at the front entrance as this door gets locked early, which means they would have to walk around the side of the building in the dark. This is not a safe street. Pick them up at the back of the Theatre where the stage door is located. Do not even think of parking for 1 minute directly in back of the Bardavon. This is a private lot which does not belong to them & is a prime ticketing area. The Bardavon has no control over this lot. There is a tow truck watching you at all times & will boot you in a matter of seconds. Park at the pay lot & be happy you only paid a couple of bucks as opposed to $250.00 to get a boot removed…yes he’ll do it as you sit there watching and you’ll need $250. in cash to get it taken off.

Party Girls wear their hair in soft ringlets.  

Mice need a flat bun under their mouse heads.

Party Boys, Soldiers, Clowns, Bakers, must slick back hair and make a flat bun that doesn't show under their hats.

Angels wear a ponytail at the base of the neck using a dark hair elastic and curling the ponytail hair softly.

Chinese Corps girls' hair in 2 high buns.  Principal girls' hair in usual high bun.

Sleigh Attendants wear slicked up buns at the crown of their head.

Arabian Corps wear hair in high bun ready for Mother Ginger.

Russians wear a slicked back, flat bun under their hats.

Party Mothers wear a hair piece (which we will provide) over their ballet bun.

Items Dancers need for Nutcracker

Party Children  Black Ballet Slippers with long crossed elastic sewn on. (provided by NPBT)  to be returned after shows. Pink tights for party girls (provided by you). White tights for party "boys" (provided by us for you to return hand washed with your costumes)

Adult Guests (Men) Black dress shoes & black socks (provided by you).

Adult Guests (Women) & Maids Black character shoes (you may wear your own of borrow from NPBT). Pink tights (provided by you).

Columbine Doll  Pink tights and pink pointe shoes (provided by you)

Harlequin Doll  Pink tights provided by you. Black ballet slippers provided by NPBT or you (let us know) with crisscross black elastic.  

Soldier Doll  Either black jazz or black ballet (you decide) slippers. (NPBT can provide black ballet slippers but not black jazz shoes.)

Mice  Black ballet slippers (you may bring us a pair to dye or borrow from NPBT)

Soldiers  Pink or white tights under pants, provided by you (no underwear or leotard).  Black ballet slippers (privided by NPBT) to be returned after shows.

Angels  Pink tights & pink ballet slippers (provided by you).

Sleigh Attendants  Black Ballet Slippers with long crossed elastic sewn on (provided by NPBT). Pink tights (provided by you).

Arabian Principal Girl  Flesh colored pointe shoes. Provided by you. (use your own shade of pancake makeup)    

Arabian Corps  Pink tights & ballet slippers (provided by you).

Chinese Corps  Pink tights and pink pointe shoes.

Chinese Principals  Principal Boy black ballet shoes & black tights (provided by you). Principal Girls pink pointe shoes & pink tights (provided by you).

Ballerina Clown  Blue tights (provided by NPBT) and pointe shoes (provided by you) dyed blue by us

Clowns & Bakers  Black ballet slippers with long crossed elastic sewn on (provided by NPBT) to be returned after shows.  Pink tights (provided by you).  If your  costume is 2 pieces you must wear a white leotard underneath.  You can wear your own or buy one from NPSB.

Russian  Black ballet slippers (provided by NPBT), must be returned after shows. Black tights or knee length socks (provided by you).

All girls en pointe  Pink professional mesh tights and pink ballet trunks.You may buy tights and trunks from NPSB. All items provided by NPBT must come back to us attached to your costumes in the ziplock bags that were given to you. Do not bring us one article at a time!