For Dancers

Frequently Asked Question regarding MWB audition.

Why do we have to complete online Pre-Registration?
Online Pre-Registration is required and the online Pre-Registration form must be complete and successfully submitted before the deadline. This electronic form replaces the paper work that dancers or parents of minor dancers must complete. When the Online Pre-registration form is completed and successfully submitted, you will be directed back to the website with more instructions. You should also receive an email confirmation. If you don't receive this email, please check the Spam or Junk mail folder first. Please be sure to contact MWB if the confirmation email is not received.

Why do dancers have to attend Dancers Registration in order to audition?
Dancers Registration is required and dancers must be present. During registration, dancers are assigned an audition time based on age and experience. For Nutcracker auditions, heights measurements taken during Dancers Registration is used to determine audition time. The Dancers Registration gives us the ability to place dancers with similar experience and abilities in the same audition group.

Why do we need to complete the online Parent/Dancers Orientation?
The online Parent/Dancers Orientation replaces the Parent/Cast member in person meeting. The goal is to save everyone time from attending a meeting and avoid scheduling conflicts. This is a new approach and we will evaluate the effectiveness of the online form and make changes if necessary. When you successfully complete and submit the Online Parent/Dancers Orientation Google form, you will receive an email with a copy of your responses. If you do not receive an automatically generated email, check the Spam or Junk email folder first. Please be sure to contact MWB if the confirmation is not received.

Where is the audition and when should the dancers plan to be there?
Audition usually is held at a middle school auditorium. The exact location will be on the dancer's calendar and be given out during in-person registration. Dancers should plan to arrive 30 minutes before their scheduled audition time. Dancers should be warmed up before arriving.

Can parents stay and wait during auditions for their dancers?
Due to limited space at the audition locations and the number of dancers auditioning, we can not accommodate parents waiting inside the building. Please plan accordingly.

How should the dancers dress for the audition and what should they bring with them?
Girls/Ladies: black leotard, pink tights, and pink technique shoes or pink pointe shoes if auditioning en pointe. Hair must be pulled back away from the face, in a neat bun. Bangs are ok, but no hair ornament (scrunchies, flowers, bow, etc) will be allowed.
Boys/men: white t-shirt, black shorts, pants, or tights and black technique shoes.
Please bring a water bottle to stay hydrated during audition. Please come dressed. Do not plan on changing at the audition location. MWB does not have extra shoes, tights, or leotards. Please come prepared.

What is the audition process on the day of audition?
Each dancer is assigned an audition number for judging and scoring purposes. Combinations are taught by a qualified and experienced professional from the ballet community who is not associated with Mountain West Ballet or any of the studios where any of the artistic staff reside. Dancers perform the combinations for the panel of judges and scores are given to each dancer for each combination.

Who are the judges?
Dancers are judged by a panel of Judges. The panel consist of five to seven judges brought in from the community who are not associated with Mountain West Ballet and who do not have a working relationship with members of the artistic staff.

What is the scoring system?
The judges use a points based scoring system. Scores between 0 for the lowest and 5 for the highest are given. Each dancer has scores from each judge on the panel and for each combination. The scores are entered by an individual with data entry expertise and experience; he/she is not on the artistic staff, general board, or executive board, to avoid bias. For each audition group, all the scores are entered to compile a list that ranks dancers average cumulative scores from the highest to lowest.

How is the casting done?
Casting is done based on score ranking. Before the audition, a list is made in the order of roles from high to low for each audition group. The dancers with the highest scores are cast into the first section of the list and so forth until every dancer is placed. Dancers who have not auditioned en pointe will not be cast in a pointe part, however, a dancer who auditions en pointe may be selected for a non-pointe part.

How many dancers are cut from the audition?
Every dancer who auditions will be cast.

How do dancers find out the audition results?
Audition results will be posted on MWB website.

What happens after knowing the audition results?
Remember to respond by email your participation status if you plan to participate in the MWB production. Check the Cast Member Calendars to make sure the dancer can commit to the required costume fittings, rehearsals (studio and theater), and performances.

You may want to read "Participate a MWB production FAQ"

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What is the process to participate in a MWB production?

Prior to audition, an Audition Notice will be posted on the Mountain West Ballet website and on social media like Facebook and Instagram.  The Audition Notice contains detailed information about the audition process. The process consists of the following steps.

Step 1. Complete Online Pre-registration:  available online at mwb.golebrands.com/ usually 2-3 weeks prior to the audition date.  Dancers must complete this step, online pre-registration, before step two.

Step 2. Parent/Cast Member Orientation:  The parent/cast member Orientation is availbe online and has to be completed in order to audition.

Step 3. Read, print, sign, and return DANCER AGREEMENT / CODE OF CONDUCT durtin Dancers In Person Registration.

Step 4. Attend one of the available Dancers In Person Registration sessions:  usually held at Mountain West Ballet prior to audition date.  Dancers must complete this step in order to audition.  Audition fee and performance fee is due at Dancers In Person Registration and audition details will be given out in the Dancers In Person Registration. .

Step 5. Attend the assigned Audition session:  Detailed information is given at the in-person Dancers Registration.

After the audition, results are posted online.  Dancers should check the Cast Member Calendar for possible conflicts, and commit to participate if the dancer can attend required costume fittings, all rehearsals (studio and theater), and performances.  Participation status has to be emailed - the instructions will be posted with audition results.

More questions? Please read Audition FAQ.

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MWB Nutcracker 2026

Costume, Hair and Makeup Requirements

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Coppélia 2026 
Hairstyle Information

 Low Bun

Mid Bun

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COPPELIA 2026

FINAL NOTES FOR STAGING/DRESS REHEARSALS

 AND PERFORMANCES

Dear Mountain West Ballet Families,

Performance week is here, and we are so excited to share Coppélia with all of you! Thank you for your dedication, preparation, and support throughout the season. Please read this final note carefully, as it contains important information for staging, rehearsals, and performances.

VENUE INFORMATION:

Sandy Amphitheater
1245 E. 9400 S. Sandy, Utah 84094

IMPORTANT DATES

Saturday, May 2 – Staging Rehearsal

Staging Schedule:

• 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM Act I
• 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM Act II
• 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM Act III

• Wear regular leotard and dance clothes (no nude leotards). 
•  Staging rehearsal will take place outside. Please dress appropriately for the weather (pants, jackets, blankets if needed).

Wednesday, May 6: Dress Rehearsal & Share the Arts Night 

Call for Act I dancers: 6:30 pm. Call for Act II 7:15 & Act III 7:30 pm; end 9:30 pm

• Required make-up and hair will be checked off at Dress Rehearsal.
• Water allowed, no food. 
• Full hair, makeup & costume 
• Audience includes underserved community groups

Thursday ~ May 7- Outreach: call for dancers 9 am. Performance 10-11 am. ** please see 

calendar for dancers participating in Outreach**

CHECK-IN / CHECK-OUT PROCEDURES: For Staging, Dress Rehearsals, and Performances

CHECK-IN: All dancers must check in upon arrival through the stage door located at the back of the Amphitheater.

Please arrive performance ready, including:

• Hair complete
• Makeup complete
• Lip color applied
• Dancewear already on under street clothes
• Audience members will enter through the west gate and will not pass the check-in table.
• Only dancers and scheduled volunteers may enter backstage areas.

•  
• CHECK-OUT: All dancers must remain until the conclusion of the ballet and be checked out after performances. The ballet is 2 hours long. 

• Ages 12 and Under: Must be checked out by a parent or guardian. Siblings may not check out dancers in this age group unless a parent has signed a waiver authorizing a teenager (age 16 or older) to check younger siblings in and out. Waivers may be signed at the check-in desk during staging or rehearsals.
• Ages 13 and Older: May check themselves in and out.

BE ON TIME, BE READY: Dancers must arrive on time for all dress rehearsals and performances. Dancers must arrive performance ready, which means:

• Dancewear already on underneath costumes
• Hair completed
• Makeup completed
• Lipstick applied before checking in

Important: Applying hairspray, lipstick, or makeup in dressing rooms risks getting products on costumes.

Dancers must wear street clothes (top and bottom) over their dancewear upon arrival. We want all dancers to present themselves professionally

Costume, Hair, & Makeup Requirements

• Specific requirements are on www.mountainwestballet.org.
• Items to be Checked off:

                           At Dress: Required Hair and makeup, The adult that is doing the dancer’s hair and makeup must accompany the dancer to dress rehearsal.

Staging : Required Leotard, tights, shoes and lip color. If you didn’t bring your items to fittings, please contact Kate @ mwbpresident1984@gmail.com for instructions on how to have them checked off at staging.

• No nail polish, earrings, or jewelry allowed. 
• Hair nets are mandatory unless style prevents it. 
• Avoid bright/unusual hair color. Dancers with unnatural hair color will not be permitted to dance.

RESPECT AND CONDUCT EXPECTATIONS:

• Dancers and families must show respect to Artistic Staff, cast members, volunteers, and others involved in the production. Excessive talking, tardiness, disruptive behavior, or failure to follow directions may result in dismissal. Parents—please review expectations with your dancers. Disrespect will not be tolerated.
• Anyone who damages props, costumes, or scenery will be held liable for replacement costs.
• No eating or drinking is allowed while in costume or in dressing/holding areas. Costumes are costly and often part of a matching set—damage may require replacing the full set at your expense.

Cast Party

• Date/Time: Saturday, May 9: 5:00-6:00 PM.
• Location: held in the grassy area just north of the dancers’ entrance of the Amphitheater (not at the park next to the water feature). 
• Details:

Cast and crew only. Dancers receive souvenir posters (bring markers for autographs).

For Dancers in the 3:00 PM Matinee:

Dancers 12 and under must be checked out by a parent/guardian after the matinee to attend the Gala.

Dancers 13 and older may check themselves out after the matinee.

No volunteers are available to supervise dancers after the matinee ends.

Sibling Exception for the Gala:

Siblings 13+ may check out siblings 12 and under for the Gala only (not for rehearsals or other performances).

This exception does not apply to cousins or carpool friends.

Parental Responsibility: Parents are responsible for their dancers during the Gala. MWB Board Members and volunteers are not responsible.

Volunteer Instructions

• All volunteers (except ticket booth and Gala volunteers) check in at the check in desk (same as the dancers). 
• Ticket Booth - Go directly to the ticket booth. Gala Volunteers :  go to the pavilion by the parking lot;
• Training: Instructions will be provided upon arrival.
• Check-Out: Return your badge when your shift ends.
• Responsibilities:
• Arrive on time, stay the entire shift, and do not bring guests/other children 
• If unavailable, find your own replacement (family, friend, or parent). Board members cannot provide substitutes.
• Parent Helpers:
• Stay until all assigned dancers check out, even if your group performs in Act I.
• Arrive at Act I call time to supervise early check-ins.
• Quiet activities are allowed to entertain dancer

Tickets

• Purchase tickets online at www.mountainwestballet.org.
• Tickets are only available online or at the theater box office 1 hour prior to performances.

Photos

• Stage Photos will be available on the website Photo Gallery shortly after the production ends.  To access the gallery, please read the article “Photo Gallery” under the “dancers” section of the website.  

• *Photos may only be taken in the holding areas and dressing rooms.  These photos may be posted online but credit must be given to MWB (which means you must include this language “Costumes copyright Mountain West Ballet (MWB)”) Photo Courtesy of Mountain West Ballet (MWB)”) 

• Photos/Videos: NO photos or videos in the auditorium, backstage, or on stage. 

PERFORMANCES:

Thursday, May 7 ~ 1^st Performance - call for Act I dancers: 6:30 pm. Call for Act II 7:15 & Act  III: 7:30 pm; Performance starts: 7:30 pm

Friday,  May 8 ~ 2nd performance – call for Act I dancers: 6:30 pm. Call for Act II 7:15 & Act  III: 7:30 pm  Performance starts: 7:30 pm

Saturday, May 9 ~ 3rd Performance - Call for Act I dancers: 2:00 pm. Call for Act II 2:45 & III dancers 3:00 pm: Performance starts: 3 pm

Saturday, May 9 ~ 4^th Performance– call for Act I dancers: 6:30 pm.  Call for Act II 7:15 & Act III 7:30pm.  Performance starts: 7:30 pm

MWB Boutique

• Check out the boutique before or after performances for wonderful Coppelia themed gifts and presentation flowers for your dancer. Your support helps our productions maintain their professional quality and helps us grow!

•  Find the perfect gift for your fellow dancers or a special memento for yourself! 
• With everything priced at $10 or less, you can purchase a gift without breaking the bank. Choose from fun "cast-a-grams" to send sweet messages to your friends or find a treasure to remember this special Nutcracker season.

THANK YOU

Thank you for helping us create a smooth, professional, and joyful performance week. We are so proud of these dancers and grateful for the wonderful families who support them.

We cannot wait to share Coppélia with you!

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NUTCRACKER 2026 PARENT LIAISONS

Angel/Russian - Kerstin Sainsbury kerstinsainsbury@hotmail.com (801)-232-3165

Arabian Corps/Queens - Jessica Sorenson jessicalsorenson@gmail.com (801)897-5005

Baby Mouse/Le Morte - Katie Carr ktacarr@gamil.com (801)-898-3144

Bon Bons - Kristy Grindstaff kristygrindstaff@yahoo.com (801)-792-0457

Party Dolls (Hansel, Gretel, Soldier) - Matti Smith mattism2924@gmail.com (801)-631-7688

Party Boys (Chinese)/Fritz - Lynell Giles lmpgiles@gmail.com (801)-913-5678

Party Girls/Clara - Jennifer Young jenleeyoung@gmail.com (801)942-9377

Fairy Attendants/Kings Mice - Jennie Tanner jenwtanner@gmail.com (801)-455-7649

Lead Pages/Candle Sellers - Alisa Sharp perrywinklepink@msn.com (801)-472-5732

Merliton/Soloists - Tiffany Christensen t.christensen8.30@gmail.com (801) 440-3859

Pages - Courtney Lye cmjonesparkle@gmail.com (801) 885-2947

Snow Corps/Demi Snow - Staci Caldwell StaciSCaldwell@gmail.com (801)-598-0646

Snow Sprites - Stacy Harbertson srdaynes@gmail.com (801)-440-4063

Soldiers/Lead Soldiers - Kelsey Frazier kelseylady1112@gmail.com (801)-949-9854

Spanish - Kimia Mulyangote writekimia@yahoo.com (801)-808-3419

Sugar Plum Court - Kristen Kidder kristen.kidder26@gmail.com (801)-597-0625

Waltz/Dew Drops - Deana Gardner deana.ann@gmail.com (801)-322-0714

*All other soloists or dancers not listed are not assigned a parent liaison and will need to be contacted directly.

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Hello Dancer Photography will be available at Mt. Jordan Middle School to take photos of dancers in costumes during each Cast’s performance on Saturday, December 12th.

• Dancers do not need to sign up for a photo time.  Dancers will have photos taken after they perform.  Dancers can only have photos taken during their performance so that costumes are available for other Casts. Parents will not accompany dancers to their photos. 
• Family/siblingphotoswill only be available during the following times: Cast A 6:15 pm or Cast B 1:45 pm.  All other photos will be taken during the Cast’s performance.
• Pre-Payment Required; Dancers must pre-pay for a package online(at www.hellodancer.photo) at least 24 hours before their photo day, as well as check in at the sales table the day of photos.

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Required Tights and Ballet Shoes for Mountain West Ballet

Local Vendors:

On Stage Dancewear 4168 S Carriage Square, Taylorsville, UT 84129
Pat’s Dancewear - 105 S Main St, Bountiful, UT 84010
Utah Dance Center - 9150 S 1300 E, Sandy, UT 84094

Tights - Bloch, Body Wrappers or Capezio Ballet Pink with seams for Advanced dancers.

• dancewearsolutions.com
• discountdance.com

Tights - Bloch, Body Wrappers or Capezio in BALLET PINK for younger dancers

• blochworld.com/child-tights
• blochworld.com/adult-tights
• amazon.com/bloch-womens-tights

Ballet Shoes – Bloch, Capezio, So Danca Have to be CANVAS and BALLET PINK color

• blochworld.com/adult-canvas=ballet-shoes
• blochworld.com/children-ballet-shoes
• amazon.com/children-canvas-ballet-slippers
• amazon.com/adult-canvas-ballet-slippers

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