What you need to know
Based on the Disney classic, "The Little Mermaid" is part of CBSA’s 10th anniversary season and will feature live musical numbers, choreography and special water effects.
Performances will take place May 16-17 at Majestic Theatre. Performers in all disciplines of dance, such as ballet, hip-hop, tap, jazz and contemporary, are encouraged to audition, as well as gymnasts, actors, vocalists and musical theatre artists. CBSA will also audition children with special needs, with roles in the production tailored to their strengths.
The website lists the audition schedule as:
- Vocalists age 8 and older: 10-11:30 a.m.
- Musicians age 8 and older: 10:30-11:30 a.m.
- Actors and narrators age 8 and older: 11 a.m.-noon
- Special needs audition: 11 a.m.-noon
- Dancers male and female age 3-4: 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
- Dancers male and female age 5-6: 12:30-1 p.m.
- Gymnasts age 6 and older: 12:30-1:30 p.m.
- Ballet/jazz/contemporary/hip-hop female and male dancers age 7-8: 1-2:30 p.m.
- Ballet/jazz/contemporary/hip-hop male dancers age 9-12: 2-3:30 p.m.
- Tap male and female dancers age 7-8 and 13 years and older: 2-3 p.m.
- Ballet/jazz/contemporary/hip-hop female dancers age 9-10: 2-3:30 p.m.
- Ballet/jazz/contemporary/hip-hop female dancers age 11-12: 3-4:30 p.m.
- Ballet/jazz/contemporary/hip-hop male and female dancers age 13 and older: 4-6 p.m.
- Tap male and female dancers age 9-12: 4-5:30 p.m.
Throughout rehearsals, performers will work with CBSA’s founder, Vanessa Bessler, and international ballet masters Aliaksandra Krukava and Nurlan Kinerbayev.
For more information on audition times, rehearsal schedules, dress code and performance fee, visit www.childrensballetofsanantonio.org/auditions. Participants must register online to secure their audition spot.
The background
According to the news release, CBSA and its sponsor school, the Dance Center of San Antonio, are one of the leading dance institutions in the region. Performers and Dance Center students have studied with master ballet teachers, won international awards and accepted scholarships to ballet institutions, such as the Royal Ballet School in London, the Bolshoi Ballet in Russia and the School of American Ballet in New York City.
Bessler is a nine-time consecutive winner of Youth America Grand Prix’s Outstanding Teacher of the Year. In 2024, the Dance Center was recognized as among the top 2.5% of U.S. ballet institutions.
