TWSB Nutcracker 2023!

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:DD is devastated by her role. 3rd year in a row. Tough season ahead.

What is she?

Flower Page.

I’m sorry. That’s tough for a young girl. DD was a page, and it’s high visibility but boring. And you have to stay there the entire time on stage sitting on uncomfortable seats watching all the other kids have fun on stage. They should put a limit of two years that a kid can play a role.

I agree this is a tough one. ANY role at the third year for a child—in this context where they are all looking ahead to see what they can advance to—can be demotivating. Donna is a class act, I bet she could help you with a perspective to spin to your DD.

Yes, agreed. This is tough. The role seems great in many ways — the stage time, finale, etc — but also limiting. You could maybe liken it to Clara and the young Prince in some ways who end up watching a good bit of the show as well. I know they have more substantial dancing parts earlier on, but the latter part of the show they mostly observe. I’m sorry. I get it.

DP. I had a flower page last year there was no amount of spinning that could make my child see this role differently. We tried but this group is too old to fairy tale them out of it. She danced more as a Snow Angel and telling her otherwise just made her feel gaslit. I finally agreed with what she was saying but to be a sport and that helped turn her around.

Fwiw, my DD was a mushroom last year and absolutely ADORED the flower pages in her cast. All she talked about after every rehearsal and every performance were the older flower page girls who were so kind and cool and how much she looked up to them. I volunteered backstage once, but honestly the pages had it all under control and my DD and her friends were happy to be with them. I know it says nothing about their dancing or on-stage role, but they made an impression on my daughter that she’ll never forget.

I volunteered last year, too, and the Flower Pages were the "big girls" in the waiting room. The Frontier Girls, even older, helped out, but they were in a different room farther down the hall from the littlest ones. The Flower Pages played games with and entertained the little kids. I still get how hard it is to be a Flower Page, as DD was one. Three years in a row strikes me as a poor pedagogical decision, frankly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like we can do so much as parents to just truly embrace and celebrate each role.
I think kids can tell if we are being less than genuine. Just embrace it all! Every role is awesome, is part of an amazing professional production.

As one PP noted, this enthusiasm works for the youngest children, but not for the older ones. The girls after the age of 10 have clear preferences, and they see which scenes are highlighted in the online videos. There are zero clips of the flower pages online, but lots of clips of the party scene and clowns, and even, though to a lesser extent, the battle scene with the soldiers and bunnies. If Donna et al want to generate enthusiasm for the roles that have been sidelined in the past, they would be wise to make a video clip celebrating the pages, as well as the soldiers and bunnies and then post them on TWSB website. Let's up the PR for the minor roles, "no role is too small!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like we can do so much as parents to just truly embrace and celebrate each role.
I think kids can tell if we are being less than genuine. Just embrace it all! Every role is awesome, is part of an amazing professional production.

As one PP noted, this enthusiasm works for the youngest children, but not for the older ones. The girls after the age of 10 have clear preferences, and they see which scenes are highlighted in the online videos. There are zero clips of the flower pages online, but lots of clips of the party scene and clowns, and even, though to a lesser extent, the battle scene with the soldiers and bunnies. If Donna et al want to generate enthusiasm for the roles that have been sidelined in the past, they would be wise to make a video clip celebrating the pages, as well as the soldiers and bunnies and then post them on TWSB website. Let's up the PR for the minor roles, "no role is too small!"

I only changed my tune with DD when I saw the rehearsal at Warner. I was genuinely excited for her and the role, the costumes were played up a lot in the orientation. DD kept insisting that she dances less than she had in 'younger roles' and she danced more as a super at Kennedy Center. I assumed she was just being overly dramatic (she has a flare for drama). I kept leaning into enthusiasm and support like we were told to do and it only made her feel less heard. After I told her that I saw where she was coming from, DD was so relieved. I told her she's been a great sport about it and better luck next time and the rest of the run was so much better.

[Anonymous]

Is there a trajectory for these roles? Students that tend to get X will likely get Y next year? Or is it completely random?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there a trajectory for these roles? Students that tend to get X will likely get Y next year? Or is it completely random?

I’m not sure. It seems a little unpredictable, but it’s probably not completely random. Just hard to know what they are looking for really with respect to certain roles, which makes it seem more random than it probably is in reality.

[Anonymous]

I feel bad for the dancers who were disappointed with their roles...hopefully they have a good experience overall and it doesn't put them off of ballet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel bad for the dancers who were disappointed with their roles...hopefully they have a good experience overall and it doesn't put them off of ballet.

I think it’s all about setting expectations with the kids. You can have a dream roll that you want. But you have to be prepared for any role. It’s not about dancing ability necessarily but about where the need is.

[Anonymous]

Hope the kids ALL have a great first day of rehearsal!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hope the kids ALL have a great first day of rehearsal!

Yes! Seeing a lot of excited faces here today. ❤️

[Anonymous]

DD had a great time! LOVE this season!

[Anonymous]

DD does not have rehearsal listed for next weekend. Is this the case for everyone? or just a mistake on the website? I thought practice was every weekend once auditions started?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD does not have rehearsal listed for next weekend. Is this the case for everyone? or just a mistake on the website? I thought practice was every weekend once auditions started?

No rehearsals next weekend for Indigenous Peoples Day. Julie started this a few years ago and it's stuck.

[Anonymous]

Anyone else have their role/schedule disappear from the portal today?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone else have their role/schedule disappear from the portal today?

Yup! They are probably just updating things. Sometimes roles shift slightly after the first weekend while they are confirming final numbers. I assume it will be back up this evening

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone else have their role/schedule disappear from the portal today?

Yup! They are probably just updating things. Sometimes roles shift slightly after the first weekend while they are confirming final numbers. I assume it will be back up this evening

Wouldn't it be great if they decided to release casting early!