the mommy avenger

If I understand correctly, many ballets have specific choreography. The professionals are judged on how accurately they follow the steps and the beauty and accuracy of their movements. 

The core choreography of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker has two or three traditional artistic interpretations. Most American productions follow George Balanchine’s staging, which first premiered with the New York City Ballet February 2, 1954. 

Contemporary dance Tony and Olivier award-nominated Jennifer Weber decided it was time to update the classic with a cultural twist. 

Switching out pointe shoes for sneakers and flying tutus for baggy pants is a creative idea. As we often will see the Nutcracker on PBS at this time of year, we decided to head to NJPAC to see this new approach, the Hip Hop Nutcracker.

We entered to DJ Boo spinning and scratching records with obvious comfort and experience. This is much more than most performances provide for pre-show entertainment. The energy started high and kept going. 

Once we opened the program we realized who we were watching MC. Kurtis Blow was the first rapper signed to a major label in 1979, leading to the production of Christmas Rappin’ and 9 other albums over the next decade. He was crucial to the genre, and numbers groups Run DMC to Wyclef Jean relied on his contributions to their sounds. The program outlined a who’s who of hip-hop influence and b-boys/girls. The talent pool ran deep in this performance. 

In the production, contemporary NYC replaced 19th century Germany and spinning on heads replaced spinning on toes. The core melodies of the music remained the same but this new approach introduced modern flare and fun. The professional dancers demonstrated incredible control of their bodies, and continually wowed the audience. The story changed slightly, but put a very approachable and entertaining spin on the old tale. 

The whole crew put on an awesome show; some standout performers who went extra hard were Tumelo “Melo” Khupe, Marissa Licata, Trent Jeroy, and the incredibly precise Athena Cruz. 

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this change to a traditional holiday dance performance. Check it out if you have the chance. 

If you are tired of the same thing in your holiday dance entertainment, this is a fantastic choice to bring a bit of variety into your experience. Additionally, the Kwanza cultural market is available prior to the performances with traditional African clothing, jewelry, carvings, and more. 

Check out the New Jersey Performing Arts Center for more amazing art and cultural experience to broaden your mind and experience. And when you go, cheer for the performers like you mean it… the audience tonight could have done much better. 

^{*we were invited to facilitate a feature, all opinions are our own.*}