CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Moscow Ballet will host an open audition for the Great Russian Nutcracker on Friday, Oct. 22, 6:30 p.m. at River City Youth Ballet Ensemble in Charleston, W.Va.

Accepted applicants will perform in the Great Russian Nutcracker at the Charleston Municipal Auditorium on Thursday, Dec. 2, 7:30 p.m.  Applicants must have dance experience and be between 7 and 16 years old. Applicants must also dress in dance attire and may bring Pointe shoes.

For more information, contact Michele Raider 304-925-DANC (3262). Svetlana Todinova, a Russian trained soloist with Moscow Ballet, will conduct the audition and work with students in rehearsal.

Svetlana Todinova completed formal training in 1997 at the Ufa Choreography School, of which the legendary Rudolf Nureyev was also a student. While dancing with the State Opera Ballet of Krasnodar, Todinova danced under the legendary Yuri Gregorovich, who is famous for his dynamic and virtuosic productions at the Bolshoi including Spartacus and Ivan the Terrible.

Todinova toured with the Russian Academy of Ballet Art and she has performed in Holland, China, Spain, Italy, England, and the USA. Her repertory includes Don Quixote, Sleeping Beauty,Paganini, La Bayadere, Carmen, Swan Lake, and The Nutcracker. She has danced as a soloist with Moscow Ballet since 2006.

Praised for exquisite dancing and gorgeous costumes, the Great Russian Nutcracker is directed by Ballet Master Vladimir Troschenko.  Troschenko partnered such legendary Russian ballerinas as Nadia Pavlova, Ludmilla Seminyaka, and Galina Mezentseva and is an honors graduate of the Bolshoi and Kirov academies.

He will tour Swan Lake to 61 cities in Europe from June 30 to August 31.Set against Valentin Fedorov’s spectacular hand-painted backdrops and life-sized dancing puppets, the Great Russian Nutcracker delights audiences with a visual tapestry rich in detail and whimsy.  It is especially distinctive for its unique setting of the “Land of Peace and Harmony” in Act II and for the introduction of a Christmas Dove and a fantasy clock with wings of an owl that cast a shadow over the battle between the Soldiers and the Mice.

Fedorov, an honored artist of Chuvashia, was a protégée of the legendary designer Valery Leventhal of the Bolshoi Theatre.  He is art director at the Chuvashia State Theater and has designed over 40 productions for opera and ballet. Acclaimed for exquisite classical ballet dancers and bejeweled, sumptuous costumes, critics rave that Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker is “flawless,” “breathtaking,” and “dazzling.” The richness of the Russian classical ballet dancers blended with whimsical storytelling have made the Great Russian Nutcracker a memorable holiday treat for the past 17 years.

Tickets are now on sale. To purchase by phone call Ticketmaster 800-745-3000, buy online at www.nutcracker.com or www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets start at $27.50. Group rates are available for ten or more tickets, call 800 320 1733.

For a truly special Christmas experience Moscow Ballet introduces its platinum seating and gift promotion. Platinum ticket buyers receive a limited edition fine art giclee print created by contemporary Russian masters from the St. Petersburg Academy of Art. These stunning first-edition prints were commissioned to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of Marius Petipa’s life.

Renowned as the creator of Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, Petipa is revered as the “Father of Russian Ballet.” Platinum Seating includes the best centered seats, a backstage Meet and Greet, gourmet chocolates, preferred parking and a Platinum Member’s Benefit Card for purchases at www.nutcracker.com.

Only seven pairs of platinum tickets per performance are available! For information on Platinum, VIP or discount tickets visit www.nutcracker.com/premium.php .