City Ballet School Performances
The Nutcracker
Community Participation
We invite all young dancers ages 6 through 18 to audition for our 31st annual production of The Nutcracker. We will be performing this holiday classic at the beautiful California Center for the Arts, Escondido.
The City Ballet Orchestra, John Nettles conducting, will perform live at all public performances.
Seven Performances
Sat, Dec 20, 2025 at 2:00pm and 7:30pm | Sun, Dec 21, 2025 at 2:00pm | Mon Dec 22, 2025 at 7:30pm | Tue, Dec 23, 2025 at 2:00pm and 7:30pm
Fri, Dec. 19, 2025 at 10:30am especially for San Diego school children.
Nutcracker Auditions
Audition Registration
Due Friday, September 19th, 2025
We ask that you pre-register for the Saturday, September 20th auditions. Please email the completed form to school@cityballet.org by Friday, September 19, 2025.
Auditions
Saturday, September 20th, 2025
3:00pm for ages 6 to 8
4:00pm for ages 9 to 12
5:00pm for ages 13 to 18
Audition and Rehearsals Location
City Ballet School
941 Garnet Ave
(South Alley Entrance)
San Diego, CA 92109
We have an alley entrance only and we are not visible from Garnet Ave.
We are located about half-way down the alley that runs between Cass St. and Bayard St., facing Hornblend Ave (south of Garnet Ave).
There are 2 pay parking lots nearby: 1 near our alley door and another down the alley. There is also free and metered street parking around us on Cass, Bayard, Hornblend, and Garnet. Please note parking signs, as rules can differ by day, block, and on opposite sides of the street. Please do not park in or block the spaces for the condos or businesses that share our alley. Our door opens directly on the alley; please use caution when driving near the door.
To keep the number of people at a minimum during the auditions, we ask that children be dropped off in time for their scheduled audition time and be picked up promptly 45 minutes later. This will minimize overlapping of groups.
At the audition, each participant will receive a Nutcracker Registration Packet which includes important information and forms which must be returned to City Ballet promptly. Return forms in PDF format by email to: school@cityballet.org, or return them at the front desk.
All forms are due by Saturday, October 4th.
Rehearsals will take place on weekends beginning Saturday, October 4th.
Performance Fee
Due Saturday, OCTOber 4th, 2025
A $250 performance fee is due to City Ballet no later than Saturday, October 4th, 2025. Parents volunteering to assist backstage are eligible to pay only $150.
Tickets and Video
Dancers will receive a special cast member ticket order form in their Nutcracker Packet to purchase discounted tickets to the performance.
Do not order tickets until all casting has been completed so that you know which performances your child will be in.
Each dancer will receive a video link of the filmed performances.
2025 Nutcracker Orientation
All parents/guardians must read the 2025 Nutcracker Orientation instructions which will be included in your Nutcracker Packet.
(Please see page 1 of your packet.)
EVERYONE MUST READ THE 2025 ORIENTATION INSTRUCTIONS
Policies and procedures may be different this year from previous Nutcracker productions. Be certain you have read the full 2025 Nutcracker Orientation information.
After reading the Orientation information, you may email school@cityballet.org with any questions.
Rehearsals and Costume Fittings
Rehearsals will take place at City Ballet School on Saturdays and Sundays beginning October 4th, 2025. They may range between 1 to 2 hours long each, depending on roles. (Some dancers may have more than one role). Saturday rehearsals are usually between 2:00 and 6:00pm and Sundays usually between 12:00 and 4:00pm. There will be evening rehearsals at the theater the week of Dec. 16-19.
There will be MANDATORY costume fittings on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 25-26 at City Ballet’s Costume Shop.
Full rehearsal schedule with all details will be included in the Nutcracker Packet.
Communications
We will use the email address(es) provided on the Audition Registration Form to communicate with parents and dancers regarding this year’s Nutcracker production. Make certain your email provider accepts emails from school@cityballet.org so these important emails don’t end up in your spam folder.
Commitment
To maintain City Ballet’s reputation for quality productions, a strong commitment is expected from all our dancers. To properly prepare for such a production, all dancers must attend all scheduled rehearsals, including technical rehearsals at the theater. Any missed rehearsals may result in dismissal from the production.
Casting
EVERYONE who auditions will receive an email with their casting results within one week. If you have not received your email within one week of the audition, PLEASE check your spam or junk folder and notify school@cityballet.org and let us know. Rehearsals begin Saturday, October 4th so you will need to know what time to be there on your first day.
Careful attention is given to casting by the artistic staff.
ALL ROLES ARE FINAL AND NOT OPEN FOR DISCUSSION
If you do not attend your first scheduled rehearsal, we will understand that you have decided not to participate in our production.
We look forward to you being a part of City Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker, recipient of the Tommy Award for the Best Nutcracker in San Diego. The San Diego Union-Tribune is quoted as saying a “full and handsome production with opulent sets and costumes” and “a plum of a Nutcracker.” Our production lives up to these praises with elegant costumes and elaborate sets designed by our favorite designer David Heuvel, a world-class designer who creates costumes for world-class companies and dancers all over the world. The entire production has a Russian look to it which perfectly complements the choreography after the concepts of Lev Ivanov, the great Russian who created the very first Nutcracker in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1892.
City Ballet of San Diego adheres to San Diego County’s Health and Human Services Agency health and safety protocols.
Annual School Performance
City Ballet School Participation
Students in the Pre and Kinder level through Pre-Professional Ballet 6 and Studio Company levels studying at the City Ballet School are invited to participate in the annual school performance. Dancers will show what they have been learning in classes all year and perform specially choreographed ballets designed to show their technical and artistic abilities.
Sleeping Beauty
Sunday, May 17, 2026 at 4:00pm
The Joan B Kroc Theater
6611 University Avenue
San Diego, 92115
There will be no auditions – but students must sign up by January 31, 2026.
Dance is a performing art and it is important for students to have the experience of learning choreography for a presentation. The ballet pieces will be specially created by Elizabeth Wistrich and City Ballet School staff.
The performance is also a part of City Ballet’s Family Ballet Series.
Schedule and Costume Fitting
Students in Pre and Kinder Ballet through Ballet 3 will learn their dance presentations in their regularly scheduled classes during the 3rd and 4th quarters. Ballet 4, Ballet 5, Ballet 6, and Studio Company students will rehearse on Saturdays between the hours of 1:30 to 6:00 pm beginning February 7, 2026. Additional Rehearsals and Costume Fittings will be held for all levels on Saturday, May 9th, Saturday, May 16th, and Sunday, May 17th (prior to the performance at 4:00 pm).
Tickets and Video
Each student will receive 2 complimentary tickets to the performance. Additional tickets may be purchased with a special cast member only order form. Tickets will also be available to the public for purchase on our website.
Each student will receive a video link of the complete performance.
Fees and Commitment Form
$300 Costume and Performance Fee is due by January 31st, 2026
(May be paid in 2 equal installments of $150 each on January 31st and March 1st.)
To be included in the performance, and in order for costumes to arrive in time, each student must return the commitment form with their dancewear sizes indicated and at least half ($150) of the Costume and Performance fee by January 31st, 2026. (Remaining balance is due by March 1st, 2026.)
Most students will get to keep their costumes after the performance. Costume Fees help cover purchase of costumes and cleaning and maintenance of some City Ballet costumes. Performance fees help cover the production costs, such as; theater rental, theater staff, technical assistance, filming costs, insurance, etc.
Each student will also be required to provide their own tights and ballet shoes in performance condition.
Commitment Forms will be emailed to all registered students in January 2026. If you have not received yours by January 20th, please check your spam folder. Email school@cityballet.org to request a form.
Email forms in PDF format to: school@cityballet.org
Payment may be made with credit card (Visa or Mastercard only) by calling 858-274-6058, Mon-Fri from 10-6 pm, or you may pay fees with check, cash, or credit card at the front desk.
Communications
We will use the email address(es) provided on the Commitment Form to communicate with parents and dancers regarding this year’s School Performance production. Make certain your email provider accepts emails from school@cityballet.org and these important emails don’t end up in your spam folder.
Commitment
To maintain City Ballet’s reputation for quality productions, a strong commitment is expected from all our dancers and parents. To properly prepare for such a production, all dancers must attend all scheduled rehearsals, including the dress rehearsal at the theater. It is necessary to notify the school if you will miss a rehearsal. Unexcused missed rehearsals may result in dismissal from the production.
City Ballet of San Diego adheres to San Diego County’s Health and Human Services Agency health and safety protocols.
Questions?
If you have questions or would like additional information, please contact City Ballet School Office by email at school@cityballet.org.