Each September the Tony Williams Dance Center in Jamaica Plain hosts a citywide audition for the Urban Nutcracker. Talented dancers ages 7 and up try out for a spot in the contemporary remake of the winter ballet.

The two-day weekend audition has time slots for different age groups and dance styles. For example, tap for ages 7 to 10, starts at 1pm on Saturday, while hip-hop for teenagers starts on Sunday at noon. You can find full schedule details here.

Auditions are free, but dancers are responsible for their own attire. For example, tap shoes for tap roles and hip hop sneakers for hip hop roles. Other dance attire also depends on performance parts including:

• Leotard

• skin-tone tights

• slim t-shirt

• black tights

• ballet slippers

• pointe shoes

• hair slicked back

• long hair in a bun,

• headband (for bangs)

The holiday event seeks to celebrate the diversity in inner-city dance. Past performances included breakdancing, flamenco, hula hooping, a tap battle, and more! The Boston-inspired show also incorporates local landmarks, like the Citgo sign and swan boats. Learn more about the one-of-a-kind performance in the 2017 trailer below.

Questions can be sent to urbannutcracker@cityballetofboston.org.