I love a good remix. So, I jumped at the chance to see The Hip Hop Nutcracker at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts on Tuesday, November 22, 2016. As I walked through the lobby doors that evening, hip-hop songs from the 1980s through modern day reverberated throughout the space. Curious to see where the music was coming from, I followed the sound up to the second-floor lobby, where I discovered a pre-show dance party in full swing. After people-watching a bit–I was glad to see audience members of all ages and even two of my own ballet students!–I made my way back downstairs to find my seat and settle in. Hip hop legend Kurtis Blow, the evening’s MC, opened the production with a 15-minute set of old school hip-hop songs (some of his own along with covers of others’) that brought the audience to its feet. After a spirited countdown from 10 to 1, the story began: a tale of Maria-Clara, a young lady in modern-day New York City on a cold New Year’s Eve. All of the dancers in The Hip Hop Nutcracker are exceptionally talented, moving deftly between genres like breaking, locking, capoeira, vogue, and contemporary […]
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