Dear NHB Families and Students,

Many thanks to those of you who auditioned to be part of NHB's 2013 production of The Nutcracker. We feel incredibly excited about this year's Nutcracker production. With a professional live orchestra, new choreography and the talents contributed by NHB students, this promises to be an amazing year!

We are working to determine casting as quickly as possible. We hope to mail out a personal postcard to every student on Friday, September 27, 2013. We plan to post full casting at all of the studios and on the website on October 1, 2013.

A note about the casting process: We saw a record number of students audition for The Nutcracker this year - 202 in all! While we are thrilled to be able to showcase such a large cast, we ask that parents help students avoid getting too focused on one "dream" part. We take tremendous care to identify and consider how each student's various talents might best be showcased. Unfortunately, no matter how hard we try, the potential for disappointment exists. If this occurs, please help your children understand that each part is special and necessary to a great production. No matter what the part, each dancer can be excited about The Nutcracker; every student has the potential to shine no matter which part she or he receives. 

We also wish to thank all of the volunteers, staff, faculty, and others who graciously supervised and helped during the auditions. In particular, many thanks to the parent volunteers who helped make auditions go seamlessly: 

Thanks to our student volunteers:

And, thanks to our faculty and staff:

Their hard work ensured auditions this year ran smoothly and successfully. Thank you!

Finally, please take a moment to savor the full Nutcracker experience as we prepare for the production. These are truly wonderful memories that all of us may cherish for a lifetime. We look forward to performing The Nutcracker at the Shubert Theater on December 13, 14, and 15, 2013!

Sincerely yours,

Lisa Sanborn