Hello Nutcracker families!
We are officially only a couple weeks away from the performances! Here is some extra info and reminders, as well as the rest of the rehearsal schedule. Please read thoroughly and review all attachments!
Full Run Through Rehearsal:
Our Full Call rehearsal is Saturday, December 7th. All cast members are expected to attend. More information is on the rehearsal schedule attached below.
Solano Community College:
The dress rehearsal and all performances take place at Solano College Theater, 4000 Suisun Valley Rd in Fairfield. A map of the campus is attached. The theater is building 1200 on the north end of campus, and you can park in lot 2. All dancers and volunteers must sign in and out at our entrance at their call and dismissal times.
Dress Rehearsal:
Dress rehearsal is Friday, Dec. 13th, at Solano Community College. Please see the attached call times for this rehearsal to see when you and your dancer need to arrive. If you are volunteering and your dancer is called at a later time than you, please still arrive at your volunteer call time. Please ensure your dancer arrives in full hair and makeup (details below), and is on time. Peter Lichty will be photographing the dress rehearsal and some of his best shots are taken there. You should be wearing everything as you will for the performance! Please see attached call times for dress rehearsal and performance weekend!
Shows:
The three performances of The Nutcracker are Saturday, Dec. 14th at 1pm and 6pm, and on Sunday, Dec. 15th at 2pm. Please see the attached call times for the shows. There will be a warm-up on stage for Ballet 6-8. If you are volunteering and your dancer is called at a later time than you, please still arrive at your volunteer call time. Please ensure your dancer arrives in full hair and makeup (details below), and is on time. There will be a lunch break in between shows December 14. We suggest you pack a lunch for your child to avoid the stress of leaving the theater and coming back all during the short break. Please see attached call times for dress rehearsal and performance weekend!
Dress Attire, Makeup, Hair, etc:
Hair: Please send your dancer with hair in a slicked back bun at the crown of the head. The bun should be held securely with hair ties, bobby pins, gel, hairspray, and a hairnet. If you have never used a hairnet on your dancer before, you can find them at stores like Rite Aid, CVS, or Sally's Beauty Supply. They are the same color as your dancer's hair and wrap around the bun to hold it secure - I would recommend finding one before the show if possible! It is important that your dancer's hair is secure so that it does not fall out on stage, and free of flyaways which really stand out under the stage lights! Party Girls who have their own ringlets need to bring them to the theater on Friday. You may attach them to the bun at home, or we can help at the theater. If you do not have your own ringlets, we will provide them for you, so please come with hair in a secure bun. Boys please style hair out of the face using gel and hairspray. See attachment for details. Here is a great basic tutorial for the bun: https://youtu.be/_eDdpC6oiCI
Makeup: Please send your child in full makeup to dress rehearsals and performances. We also ask that each child have their own makeup bag. This helps eliminate germs. Younger dancers are required to have wine/red lipstick, blush, and taupe eyeshadow. Mascara & eyeliner are not required but will help your child's face stand out on stage. Older dancers are required to have wine/red lipstick, blush, eyeshadow, eye liner, mascara, false eyelashes for 13+, etc. For lipstick, please wear a wine/red shade that is "colorstay" so that it stays on all day and stands out on stage. Makeup helps define dancer's faces on stage under the bright lights and in the video. See the attachments for more details.
Attire: Please send your child in pink tights, a nude/skin tone leotard with a low neckline, a scoop back and spaghetti straps (pink or blue class leotard NO ATTACHED SKIRTS is fine for Little Party Girls, Party Girls, Mice, Angels, and Gingerbread Cookies but Stars and Little Tea need a nude leotard. Soldier Dolls should wear a black leotard NO ATTACHED SKIRTS.), and pink ballet shoes. Younger dancers, please make sure to wear a leotard that does not have an attached skirt. Tights should be as clean as possible with no holes or runs. You can purchase your dance supplies at https://beniciaballettheatre.logodancewear.com/. The proceeds from our store all go directly to helping our productions and scholarship fund! Other options include Amazon, Contra Costa Dancewear in Walnut Creek, and https://discountdance.com/. Party Boys and Kingdom Attendants should wear white tights, a white t-shirt, and ballet slippers. Older dancers who may feel that their leotard does not provide enough support are allowed to wear a nude bra or undergarments. No black biker shorts. No nail polish, tattoos, or jewelry is allowed.
Dressing Rooms:
Younger dancers may bring a small laundry basket/backpack to contain your child’s belongings and a small blanket to mark their spot and sit on. Please make sure to label all your child’s belongings and keep all expensive valuables at home. There will be a lunch break between shows where your dancer can eat a packed lunch outside of the theater. We suggest that you pack snacks to eat during the shows, but no red, orange or sticky foods please. It is important that we keep the costumes clean. It is a good idea to send your child with a bathrobe that they can wear while they eat and is cozy when not onstage. Please also send your dancer with a labeled water bottle!
Tickets and Lobby Sales:
Tickets are still for sale at the box office here! Please do not wait to purchase tickets! This is a lovely production for all ages, so please invite friends, family, etc. to join us for the weekend! At the show, make sure to check out our Boutique and Silent Auction items for sale in our lobby. All proceeds from lobby sales go right back into our non-profit organization, Benicia Ballet Theatre, and help us continue to offer dance instruction and performance opportunities to our community. See attached flier to share with your community!
Volunteers:
We still need volunteers for some positions. Anyone can help - grandparents, teenage siblings, family friends. We cannot do a production of this magnitude without everyone's help! If you have already signed up for a position, please do not delete or move any position you’ve signed up for at this point. If you can’t make it, please contact Reggie at mikro831@aol.com and try to find someone to take your place. Sign up here!
YouTube Channel:
We have been uploading videos of rehearsals to the BBT Youtube channel. This is a great tool to help with remembering choreography and practicing tricky parts of the dance! Please remember not to share these videos with anyone outside of BBT or to social media. It is a private channel used for rehearsal purposes only. Youtube link: 2024 Nutcracker Youtube
I know this is a lot of information so please read thoroughly, view all attachments, and refer back to this page as needed.
Attached:
Complete Rehearsal Schedule
Call Time Sheet for Dress Rehearsal and Performance Weekend
Solano Parking
Hair Guide
Stage Makeup Guide
Nutcracker Flier
Please let me know if you have any questions or need guidance in the remaining weeks by emailing me at giannazahner@gmail.com. It is extremely important that all dancers are at their rehearsals at the studio and clear on the expected call times for Dress Rehearsal and the performances at the theater.
We are looking forward to a wonderful show!
Thank you,
Gianna
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