Dance Repertory Company II auditions are Sept. 17

The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts will conduct auditions for the Dance Repertory Company II winter concert, at noon Saturday, Sept. 17, at the Valéncia Arts Center, 1164 West 10th St.

Auditions are open to beginning- and intermediate-level dance students ages 5 to 13. Boys and girls will be cast in concert dance pieces in one or more of the following genres: classical ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, and modern dance.

Parents are asked to accompany children to the audition, bring a photo of their child, and planning calendars. Auditioning students should wear proper dance attire.

The DRC II will present winter concerts, Dec. 2-3, 2011 at the Valéncia Arts Center Academy Theatre. The concert will feature the DRC II members who train at MCA, as well as the MCA high school and college students in their choreographic debuts, presenting their own works as part of their semester-long choreography class.

Dance Repertory Company and the DRC II are the youth performing troupes of the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts. Company members participate in rehearsals, technique classes (starting Sept. 12, 2011) and stage performances. Past productions of the company include: The Firebird, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Paquita, Cinderella, Excerpts from Swan Lake, Cinderella, Youth In Motion, Tappin' to Connick, Pure Entertainment, Dance Mosaic, and An Evening with Benny Goodman, among others.

For more information about the DRC II or other programs offered at MCA, visit www.mnconservatoryforthearts.org, e-mail mca@smumn.edu or call Ext. 5500.