"The Brooklyn Nutcracker" honors World Dance with Culturally Authentic Production
Company:
The Brooklyn Nutcracker
Brooklyn Ballet, a unique and interdisciplinary dance company rooted in the classical idiom, presents two performances of The Brooklyn Nutcracker, at the majestic Kings Theatre in Flatbush, Brooklyn, on December 14, 2019. The first of its kind, this critically acclaimed production fuses ballet, hip-hop and an array of world dance genres to create a culturally inclusive production that highlights dances and artists from around the globe and artists and students from Brooklyn Ballet.
With a strong commitment to honor and authentically represent the vibrant and multi-cultural history of Brooklyn, this re-imagined holiday classic employs the talents of dancers from all disciplines and corners of the globe. Act Two’s signature divertissements welcome the first-place winner of Flamenco Certamen 2016, Aliesha Bryan in Spanish Hot Chocolate, the Red Dance Studio Chinese Dancers in Chinese Tea, authentic Middle Eastern belly dancer Sira Melikian in Arabian Coffee, and 6-time World Hoop Dance Champion and Native American performer Nakotah LaRance, with his signature and dynamic mix of traditional hoop and hip-hop dance.
Choreographer and Brooklyn Ballet artistic director Lynn Parkerson injects an unmistakable seasoning of Brooklyn culture by casting hip-hop pop and locker Michael “Big Mike” Fields as the mysterious uncle Drosselmeyer among a baroque dance scene, a contrasting a line of Mirlitons dancing among African-based modern dancers, and showing off Brooklyn’s top pop and lock, gliding and flex’n dancers as they transport audiences to the Land of the Sweets by way of a gritty and iconic subway platform. For the Nutcracker traditionalist, a Victorian-style holiday party for Clara and friends set the opening scene while the majestic flurry of the Snow Scene, Waltz of the Flowers, and Grande Pas remain true to Petipa’s and Ivanov’s vision as interpreted by Parkerson and her collaborators.
“I’ve been interested in and inspired by Brooklyn’s diverse communities since the inception of Brooklyn Ballet. The Brooklyn Nutcracker is our biggest and brightest work dedicated to the people and place we call home,” explains Parkerson. “The production began nearly 10 years ago on a Brooklyn street corner with a dance collaboration between a petite ballerina and a large hip-hop dancer. Today it stands as New York’s only culturally inclusive story ballet bringing dance audiences into the twenty-first century and beyond.”
Also unique to The Brooklyn Nutcracker are collaborations with tech-based artists and designers providing audiences with a multi-sensory experience. From exploring ground-breaking technology of light and motion-responsive costumes throughout multiple scenes and a digital set that transports the plot from historical old Dutch Brooklyn to the iconic Flatbush Avenue, the production is primed for today’s audience in a climate centered in technology and innovation.
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
The Brooklyn Nutcracker takes place on Saturday, December 14 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
TICKETS and VENUE INFORMATION
Prices start at $25 and are availvale at www.brooklynballet.org/performances/brooklyn-nutcracker
The Kings Theatre is located at 1027 Flatbush Avenue, between Tilden and Duryea in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn. The theater is accessible by Subway: Q to Beverley Road, or the 2, 5 and B to Church Avenue.
REPERTORY DETAILS
The Brooklyn Nutcracker
Concept/Choreography: Lynn Parkerson
Music: Pytor IIyich Tchaikovsky
Art Director/Set Design: Avram Finkelstein
Costume Design: Rebeccah Pailes-Friedman, Leila Ligougne, Sylvia Nolan, YMX by Yellow-man
Technologist: Nicholas Vermeer, NYC Resistor
Lighting Design: David Fern
Collaborating Choreographers: Thomas Baird, Aliesha Bryan, Michael “Big Mike” Fields, Miera Goldberg, Claudia Jeschke, Nakotah LaRance, Sira Melikian, Sydnie Mosley, Margaret Yuen
Length: 110 minutes
A re-imagined holiday classic, The Brooklyn Nutcracker fuses ballet, hip-hop and a myriad of world dance genres to create a new tradition for today’s audience. New York’s only culturally inclusive production, The Brooklyn Nutcracker transforms familiar Nutcracker characters and scenes to represent the diverse traditions and vibrant culture of melting pot Brooklyn. From the landscape of the old Dutch Brooklyn to the iconic Flatbush Avenue, the production is fresh and full of virtuosity and celebrates the borough we call home.
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