Dancers are expected to attend all rehearsals and the first 3 for each role, including understudies, are mandatory “setting rehearsals.” Once the first 3 rehearsals are completed, dancers may request up to 3 absences during the Nutcracker season in October and November. No absences are permitted in December. All requests for absences must be made in advance via email to the Absence Request Form.

How is the Nutcracker structured?
WBC’s Nutcracker is a ballet performed in two acts.

Act I has three scenes:

• Party Scene (aka The Christmas Party)

• Mouse Scene

• Snow Scene (aka The Journey)

Act II has one scene:

• Land of the Sweets

Which roles are performed in Act I?
Act I, Scene I (Party Scene aka The Christmas Party):
Clara, Fritz, The President, His Wife (Clara’s Mother), The Maid, The Butler, The Aunt, Clara’s Cousin, The Guests, The General, Cadet, Uncle Drosselmeyer, Party Children, Mechanical Doll, and Mechanical Soldier

Scene II (Mouse Scene):
Group Mice, Solo Mice, The Mouse King, The Nutcracker, Soldiers, and Clara

Act I, Scene III (Snow Scene, aka The Journey):
Clara, The Nutcracker, and Uncle Drosselmeyer, The Snow Queen, Snowflakes (soloists and corps)

Which roles are performed in Act II (Land of the Sweets)?
Clara, The Nutcracker, Uncle Drosselmeyer, Angels, Pages, The Sugar Plum Fairy, Her Cavalier, Chocolate from Spain, Marzipan Reed Flutes (soloist and demi), Coffee from Arabia, Tea from China (soloist and demi), Caviar from Russia, Gigue from England, Mother Ginger, Her Jesters, Her Clowns, Clown Soloists, Dew Drop Fairy, and Crystalline Flowers (soloists and corps), and Clara’s Mother.

Who is in “Opening Act II”?
Angels, Pages, Spanish, Dew Drop, Chinese soloist, Flute soloist, two designated dancers from Gigue, two designated Flower soloists, The Sugar Plum Fairy, Her Cavalier, Clara, and The Nutcracker. Please note: Angels and Pages do not attend every Opening Act II rehearsal. The rehearsal schedule will specify Opening Act II “no Angels , no Pages” or “including Angels and Pages.”

Who is in “Finale”?
All of the dancers who appear in Act II appear in the finale, EXCEPT Angels, Pages, Group (corps) Clowns & Jesters.

What does “corps” mean?
“Corps” means group. The “p” and “s” in corps are silent, so it is pronounced “core.” WBC’s Nutcracker has a Snow corps, Flower corps, and Clown corps (aka Group Clowns and Group Jesters).

What is a “variation”?
Each segment in Act II is called a variation. The variations are Spanish, Flute, Arabian, Chinese, Russian, Gigue, Mother Ginger, Dew Drop, Flowers, Sugar Plum Fairy, and Her Cavalier.

How long is the performance?
Total running time is just under 2 hours, and includes a 20-minute intermission.

Have questions about the WBC Nutcracker? Send it to info@westchesterballet.org.