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Moscow Ballet to host auditions

Preparations for the Christmas season are already underway in department stores and at the Marion Cultural and Civic Center.

On Tuesday, Oct. 18, the Moscow Ballet will hold auditions for local dancers to participate in the production of the Great Russian Nutcracker at the MCCC at 7 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 5.

Auditions for local dancers will be held at Arabesque Dance Studio in Carterville, the host studio for the ballet.

The Nutcracker tells the story of a young girl named Masha who falls in love with a Nutcracker prince and travels to magical lands. The production by the Moscow Ballet actually changes the setting for the second act of the show.

In a story exclusive to the Moscow Ballet, the show sees the main characters travel to the Land of Peace and Harmony, as opposed to the traditional Land of Sweets. The unique second act features a performance of the "Dove of Peace," where two dancers balance and leverage to form a "soaring white bird" with a 20-foot wingspan.

The show will also feature such Russian landmarks as the "Onion Dome" of the Moscow skyline, life-sized Matroyshka dolls, and the snow forest scene featuring a Russian Troika sleigh, where Masha and the Prince are escorted by Father Christmas and the Snow Maiden.

The ballet is looking for student dancers, boys and girls, between 7 and 17 years old, who have at least one year of ballet training. Auditions will be held for ancillary roles like "Party Children", "Mice", "Snowflakes", "Angels" and other roles. There is no cost to audition, though there may be a casting fee.

Principal dancer, Alisa Bolotnikova, is also serving as the audition director for the program.

"We have many roles for children," Bolotnikova said. "We choose talented children, and all children are talented."

Bolotnikova has been a ballerina since the age of 5, when she was accepted at Kharkov Children's Music, Ballet and Choreographic School. She graduated from Kharkov University as a ballerina and a teacher of choreography in 1997.

She went on to perform in Bulgaria and Japan, and has also taught ballet and gymnastics.

The choreography and costumes for the show vary based off of age and role of the performer, Bolotnikova said. In the auditions, she will be looking for those who can best repeat her choreography, those who best match different characters, smiling faces, and energy.

Auditions will be held at Arabesque Dance Studio in Carterville, owned by Kim Coffey, who has been dancing since the first grade. Contacted by the Moscow Ballet, Coffey's studio will play host for the auditions and subsequent rehearsals, which will be held throughout the rest of the week, and every week or two weeks until the show in December.

Coffey encouraged students to audition for the show.

"This provides memories that last a lifetime," Coffey said. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

Coffey previously performed in The Nutcracker at SIU, when she was in the fifth grade.

Tickets are currently on sale for the ballet at the MCCC. Gold Circle tickets are $102, Orchestra seats are $68, floor seats are $48, Upper House tickets are $37.50, and Balcony seats are $28.

To audition for the Great Russian Nutcracker, visit www.nutcracker.com/youth-auditions. Performance tickets can be purchased at the MCCC or at www.nutcracker.com.