Production Handbook 2015 Nutcracker You should be proud to take part in a production of this magnitude! The Nutcracker Production will require a lot of hard work, as well as, a lot of fun. In an effort to make this production even more successful and enjoyable for everyone, we have assembled this Handbook for your reference. We hope that this will provide you with answers to your questions, and serve as a guide to help you and your dancer fulfill your requirements as well. Index Page # Contact Information Page 2 Attendance and Technique requirement Page 3 Fee Schedule Description and Order of Scenes Page 4 Make-up and Costume Guidelines Page 5 Photography Communication Rehearsal Guidelines Production Week Notes Page 6 & 7 Rehearsal Schedule Page 8 Production Week Schedule Page 9 & 10 Volunteering Page 11 Prairie Dance Alliance 348 W. Main St. Suite #109, Marshall, MN 56258 1
Contact Information If you have questions in any of these areas or if you are interested in volunteering, please contact one of the people on the committees below. Artistic Director Assistant Choreographer Acting Director Charlotte Wendel Breanna Ahmann Steve Juhl PDA President/Production Manager Kanoa Baynard 507-929-5855 Stage Management MASC Paula Nemes 507-532-5463 Cast Managers Janet Bottelberghe 507-828-3665 Jami Roos 507-337-0666 Class Liaison Jami Roos 507-337-0666 Front House Manager Sarah Kepler 507-337-3044 Principal Dancer Liaison Ann Schlenner 507-929-5855 Costume Director Ann Schlenner 507-828-2603 Rachel Holmgren 507-828-7531 Property and Sets Bruce Louwagie 507-423-6454 Ticket Sale Locations MAFAC 507-532-5463 HyVee 507-532-2247 County Fair 507-532-2004 Marshall Radio 507-532-2282 Publicity & Ticket Sales Alyssia Coudron 507-828-3437 Sponsorships Kanoa Baynard 507-929-5855 Photography Christy Goldtrap 507-829-2034 Videography Ryan Schlenner 507-929-1461 Prairie Dance Alliance 348 W. Main St. Suite #109, Marshall, MN 56258 2
Requirements and Policies Absentee Policy for Rehearsals Attendance at rehearsals is vital to ensuring an outstanding production. Please indicate any absences you know of on your audition form. This information will be used for scheduling and casting purposes. We may be able to schedule around some known absences. We will consider known absence dates when putting together group roles so that we do not have several rehearsals where 1 or more cast member is missing from a given role. Any absence not listed on the audition form must be approved by the cast manager ahead of time. In approving absences the cast manager will consider number of prior absences, reasons for absences, and readiness of the dance you will be missing. Absences during production week should be for extreme reasons only or significant illness. If you need to miss a rehearsal due to illness please notify the cast manager before rehearsal. Unexcused absences may result in removal from that role. Technique Requirement All dancers are required to take technique class or ballet class, as their dance level and age dictates. All Pointe dancers are required to take Pointe class during the rehearsals and run of the production. Dancers may take these classes at whatever dance school they are enrolled in. (This rule does not apply to adult roles.) These classes are required to insure the high quality of dance necessary to perform with the professional dancers, as well as for dancer s personal safety. Only two absences are allowed from these classes. If you miss one, you may make the class up during another class time of the same week you missed. The Cast Manager must be informed of any absences. Please discuss appropriate makeup classes with your dance instructor. Fees Fees must be charged to cover the cost of liability insurance and costume rental/cleaning. We have combined these into a single fee. The fee amounts are listed below. Fees are due November 9th once all costume needs have been determined. The cast manager will email you with your cast fees once all casting is final. Fee Structure: $40 3 or more PDA costumes $30 2 PDA costumes $20 1 PDA costume $10 Class Dance only (use your own/class costume) Prairie Dance Alliance 348 W. Main St. Suite #109, Marshall, MN 56258 3
Description and Order of Production ACT I Scene I The Party Scene Clara Clara s Friends Clara s Parents Clara s Grandparents Fritz Fritz s Friends Frieda Frieda s Friends Drosselmeyer Adults Maids Toy Soldiers Doll (Professional) Jack-in-the-Box Harlequins Scene II The Battle Scene Mice Rats Soldiers Rat Queen Mouse King Nutcracker (Professional) Scene III The Land of Snow Snow Snow King (Professional) Snow Queen (Professional) Intermission ACT II The Land of the Sweets Angels Class Dances Rat Queen Mouse King Spanish Arabian Chinese Russian Reed Pipes Acrobats Mother Ginger Mother Ginger Class Dances Waltz of the Flowers Dew Drops Grand Pas de Deux (Professionals) Grand Finale Divertissement Dances Curtain Call Prairie Dance Alliance 348 W. Main St. Suite #109, Marshall, MN 56258 4
Make-up and Costume Guidelines Hair and makeup guidelines will be provided to cast members at a later date. Any questions on hair or makeup can be directed to the cast managers, the costume managers, the choreographer or assistant choreographer. Makeup checks will take place before each dress rehearsal. PDA board directors and experienced parents will be present to assist if you have questions. Cast members will be provided with a list of required tights, shoes and jewelry by role. It is the cast member s responsibility to obtain the required items. Please contact the costume director or cast manager with questions. No jewelry or nail polish other than what is listed in costume requirements is allowed. Photography Group photos by role will be taken on Saturday November 8 th at Studio B. All roles will be taken this day except adults and Mother Ginger. Taking the photographs ahead of production week will allow production week to go smoother without interruptions for photos and ensure adequate time for all dancers to have quality photos taken. A detailed photography schedule will be provided with times for each role following casting. We will not be taking an entire cast photo this year. Rehearsal Guidelines All rehearsals prior to production week will take place at Southwest School of Dance. They allow Prairie Dance Alliance to use this space so it is important that we be respectful of the property and leave it picked up when we are done. PDA board directors and parent volunteers will assist in supervising children between rehearsals. Cast members are to remain upstairs except when coming and going. Please pick younger children upstairs in the studio as they cannot be left unsupervised downstairs. All rehearsals are closed to parents unless the choreographer/assistant choreographer otherwise indicates. This is to allow the cast to be focused and to decrease distractions. PDA board directors may be present in some rehearsals to assist with supervision or other production needs. Communication Most information to the cast will be provided by email. Frequent emails will be sent. If you are not receiving them please contact one of the cast managers. Some information such as scheduling and cast list will also be available on the PDA website,www.prairiedancealliance.org. As the production progresses, changes are often required in scheduling so please check email or website weekly. Urgent messages such as weather cancellations will be texted to you if you indicated that is ok at auditions. If cast members have any questions they may contact the appropriate board director listed on page 2 or email us at prairiedancealliance@yahoo.com. Prairie Dance Alliance 348 W. Main St. Suite #109, Marshall, MN 56258 5
Nutcracker Production Week Production week is Saturday, January 3 to Sunday, January 12, 2015. There will be rehearsals and/or dress rehearsals every day of this week at the Marshall High School Theater. The professional dancers will be at these rehearsals as well. This week is a big commitment, a lot of hard work, and a lot of fun. We are providing these tips to help make things go smoother and to help keep everyone healthy! 1. Please eat prior to coming to rehearsal, and arrive promptly, according to the rehearsal schedule enclosed. Arrive with your hair and make-up done (on dress rehearsal nights), as there will not be time to do this prior to starting. 2. Take care of yourself. Eat properly and rest as much as possible. If it helps, bring a pillow and blanket to rehearsals to help you rest while you wait to dance, especially the young children. 3. Keep up with your homework. Try to finish your homework before coming to rehearsals. If not, bring it with you, and we will provide a quiet corner to study in. 4. No pop or food in the dressing rooms or while in your costumes. Bring bottled water for your thirst. Absolutely NO eating while in costumes. There will be a designated eating area away from the costume area. 5. Put your name in your shoes, tights, and costumes (that you own). 6. Hair is to be worn in a bun, firmly pinned in with bobbie pins, not just a scrunchie. You must wear a hair net over your bun. The only exceptions to this are Clara, Clara s Friends, Adults, and men/boys of course! Clara and Clara s Friends are to wear their hair down and curled with it pulled up on the sides. Hair must be done when you come to dress rehearsals and performances. 7. Class Dances Please come with your costume on and make-up done. You are scheduled to arrive later during rehearsals and performances so you don t have to sit around for hours. Enter QUIETLY and report to the backstage hallway so you won t disturb the audience. Report to the designated area for your class. There will be mom-supervisors attending to each class. If you are in other dances, bring your costumes to one of the costume helpers. 8. Dancers are not allowed in the audience in costume during the performances. Please stay in the backstage area. 9. Camera and Videos You may not take pictures or videos during the performances. However, you may take pictures after the performance backstage. Studio One will be videotaping the production and will have copies available for sale. You will receive information later about purchasing a copy. You may bring you camera to take pictures backstage with the professional dancers after Saturday s matinee if you wish. Prairie Dance Alliance 348 W. Main St. Suite #109, Marshall, MN 56258 6
10. Bring a cover-up or sweater and legwarmers to keep warm backstage. 11. Saturday between performances Parents of class dancers are encouraged to take their children home to rest between performances since they don t need to report back to the school until 7:30 PM. All other cast members are encouraged to stay at the school. Please bring food with to eat between performances or we may have inexpensive food available to purchase. More information will follow on this. In the past food has been provided but it is very difficult to find food that satisfies the entire cast so this will not be done this year. Use this time to rest. Also, remember to re-do your make up before the evening performance. 12. Flower Etiquette It is traditional in ballet for dancers, both male and female, to receive flowers at the end of a performance. Be sure they say Good Luck or something appropriate, and not Break a leg. In our production, the only dancers who may receive flowers on stage are the principals and Clara. If you are giving flowers to another dancer, please present them after the performance backstage. The giving of flowers is optional and at your discretion. PDA will provide information at a later date if flowers will be available for sale at the production. Prairie Dance Alliance 348 W. Main St. Suite #109, Marshall, MN 56258 7
Rehearsal Dates The following dates are reserved for rehearsals. Rehearsals will occur on Sundays and the week prior to the production. The actual rehearsal times for each dance will be provided when the cast has been chosen. Rehearsal times are subject to change, as needs arise. September 14-Auditions September 21 September 28 October 5 *October 11-SMSU Homecoming Parade October 12 October 19-MEA October 26 November 2-No Rehearsal *November 8- Group photos (detailed schedule will be provided) November 9-Liability and costume fees due November 16 November 23 November 30 December 7 December 14-No Rehearsal December 21 December 28 *January 3-Production Week starts at Marshall High School Theater January 4-Dress Rehearsal January 5-Act II January 6-Act I January 7-Dress Rehearsal Cast I January 8-Dress Rehearsal Cast II January 9-Performance 7 PM January 10-Performances 2 PM and 7 PM January 1-Performance 2 PM **Act I Includes: **Act II Includes: Party Scene, Battle Scene, Snow Scene All Divertissement Dances, All Class Dances, Mother Ginger Dances, and Grand Finale Prairie Dance Alliance 348 W. Main St. Suite #109, Marshall, MN 56258 8
Production Week Schedule-Tentative Saturday, January 3 8:30-11:30Act 1 12:00-2:00 Act 2 Sunday, January 4 Dress Rehearsal 1:00-4:00 Act I 4:00-4:30 Break/Meeting (all Class Dances come now) 4:30-7:00 Act II 7-00-7:30 Curtain Call Practice Monday, January 5-NOT a dress rehearsal no costumes or makeup 5:30-9:00 Act II Tuesday, January 6 NOT a dress rehearsal no costumes or makeup 5:00-9:00 Act I Wednesday, January 7 Dress Rehearsal Cast I **Arrive prepared with hair and makeup done 5:30 Backstage Meeting / warm-ups 5:45 Act I 7:15 Class Dances come now, except Mother Ginger 7:30 Act II 7:45 Mother Ginger Classes arrive Thursday, January 8 Dress Rehearsal Cast II **Arrive prepared with hair and makeup done 5:30 Backstage Meeting / warm-ups 5:45 Act I 7:15 Class Dances come now, except Mother Ginger 7:30 Act II 7:45 Mother Ginger Classes arrive Prairie Dance Alliance 348 W. Main St. Suite #109, Marshall, MN 56258 9
Performances Friday, January 9 7:00 Performance **Arrive with hair and make-up done 5:30 Backstage 6:15 Warm-ups 6:45 Curtain Call Meeting 7:00 Performance 7:30 All Class Dances report backstage, quietly Saturday, January 10 2:00 Performance **Arrive with hair and make-up done 12:30 Backstage 1:15 Warm-ups 1:45 Curtain Call Meeting 2:00 Performance 2:30 All Class Dances report backstage, quietly Saturday, January 10 7:00 Performance **Arrive with hair and make-up done 5:30 Backstage 6:15 Warm-ups 6:45 Curtain Call Meeting 7:00 Performance 7:30 All Class Dances report backstage, quietly Sunday, January 11 2:00 Performance **Arrive with hair and make-up done 12:30 Backstage 1:15 Warm-ups 1:45 Curtain Call Meeting 2:00 Performance 2:30 All Class Dances report backstage, quietly Prairie Dance Alliance 348 W. Main St. Suite #109, Marshall, MN 56258 10
Nutcracker Volunteers Welcome to our 9 th production of the Nutcracker Ballet. This professional production is made possible by the actions of volunteers in our community. Prairie Dance Alliance Board of Directors is comprised of many in the community who volunteer their time and talent to make this production possible. However, we could not be successful without our members and the people in the community who also put forth time and talent to bring this show to the stage. To help make this a successful production, we ask every family involved in the Nutcracker to share ten hours of their time with this venture. There are many volunteer opportunities throughout the next few months, as this work of art is created. Please review the list below, and decide where your skills may be offered. Board Members will always be present during these times to assist the volunteers and to answer questions. Sponsorship (contact businesses and people to help financially support the production) Supervision (provide supervision at rehearsals, tech week, or performances) Publicity (parades, posters, guest appearances, early ticket sales, etc) Properties (help move floors, props, costumes and sets; fix and create props; hang backdrops; etc) Performance (lobby decorations, ticket sales, ushers, membership table, clean-up, etc) We truly value our volunteers who make this production possible. However, we also understand that volunteer hours are very difficult for some families schedules. Therefore, we also offer a buyout of volunteer hours at $10 an hour, or $100 total. All proceeds would go to support this production. Thank you for joining us in bringing the art of dance to the community. Prairie Dance Alliance Board of Directors Prairie Dance Alliance 348 W. Main St. Suite #109, Marshall, MN 56258 11