BROOKLYN BALLET HONORS HOLIDAY TRADITION WITH FREE LIVE PERFORMANCES OF NUTCRACKER HIGHLIGHTS DESPITE CONTINUED THEATER CLOSURES
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BROOKLYN BALLET HONORS HOLIDAY TRADITION WITH FREE LIVE PERFORMANCES OF NUTCRACKER HIGHLIGHTS DESPITE CONTINUED THEATER CLOSURES
Glass Front Studio Space to Be Transformed into Enchanting Jewel Box with Socially Distant Sightlines
NEW YORK, November 12, 2020 — Brooklyn Ballet, a unique and interdisciplinary dance company will present highlights from its critically acclaimed and culturally inclusive production of The Brooklyn Nutcracker. Despite the continued performance pause for the entire New York performing arts community. The Brooklyn Nutcracker in the Jewel Box will offer audiences nine free opportunities, from December 10 to 13, to experience the magic of this timeless production live from outside Brooklyn Ballet’s home studio space for the whole family to enjoy.
The first of its kind, this production fuses ballet, hip-hop, and an array of world dance genres to create a culturally inclusive production that celebrates dances and artists from around the globe. With a cast that typically invites 70 dancers, from student to professional, highlights this year will include solos and small socially distant groups of dancers recreating the culturally integrated Nutcracker dances that are a hallmark of Brooklyn Ballet’s work. Performed in the company’s studio turned jewel box performance space, enchanting windows will give way to the beloved scenes that mark the holiday season with magic, hope, and community.
With a strong commitment to honor and authentically represent the vibrant and multicultural history of Brooklyn, passerby audiences will experience the African rhythms of the traditional Flamenco Spanish dancer and her “Palmeros,” an authentic Middle Eastern belly dancer, afro-modern dancers, hip-hop pop ’n’ lockers, and the iconic dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.
“This 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,” recalls Brooklyn Ballet founder and artistic director Lynn Parkerson. “It seems fitting during this most unusual year to reconnect with our community in this intimate way, back on the streets of our great borough, giving dancers a chance to dance again and offering audiences a live Nutcracker experience, cherished by so many.”
The company will also offer a festive “Selfie Window” dressed up for the season and dedicated to capturing the memories of the evening, designed by The Brooklyn Nutcracker’s art director, Avram Finklestein.
These performances are dedicated to the memory of Nakotah LaRance (1989-2020), an extraordinary artist and beloved cast member of The Brooklyn Nutcracker.
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Highlights of The Brooklyn Nutcracker in the Jewel Box will be held Thursday-Sunday, December 10-13, 2020:
Thursday, December 10 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Friday, December 11 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 12 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 13 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., and *6:30 p.m.
This is a non-ticketed, free performance.
Running time: 20 minutes
*A virtual gala will be held during the final performance, December 13, at 6:30 p.m., including video access to the Nutcracker performance, Q&A with the dancers, collaborators, and choreographer, access to archived performances, and other exciting surprises.
VENUE INFORMATION
The Jewel Box and Selfie Window are located at the Brooklyn Ballet studio space at 160 Schermerhorn Street in Brooklyn.
This is a free non-ticketed event for all ages.
Brooklyn Ballet is accessible by the A, C and G trains at Hoyt-Schermerhorn Streets; 2, 3 at Hoyt Street; F, N, R, and W at Jay Street-Metrotech; and the 4 and 5 at Borough Hall.
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ABOUT BROOKLYN BALLET
Founded in 2002 by Artistic Director Lynn Parkerson, Brooklyn Ballet brings a contemporary vision to the treasured art form of ballet, with repertory and programs that revitalize and re-imagine the classical form. The first-of-its-kind in Brooklyn in more than 40 years, the organization is committed to artistic accomplishment, education and community engagement. In 2009, Brooklyn Ballet opened the doors to its first permanent home at The Schermerhorn—built and managed by Breaking Ground and The Actors Fund. The ground level space provides Brooklyn Ballet with a storefront dance studio, access to a 99-seat black box theatre, dressing rooms, and administrative space. As a community dance institution, Brooklyn Ballet School offers youth and adult ballet classes, allowing dancers to learn and develop their skills alongside professionals of all backgrounds. The Ballet’s Elevate programs offer children scholarships and opportunities to participate in the rigors of ballet training. Brooklyn Ballet can be found on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @brooklynballet.
The Brooklyn Nutcracker is made possible by Cultural Immigrant Initiatives from Council Member Steve Levin and Council Member Mathieu Eugene, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Brooklyn Ballet’s programs are made possible in part by The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council; Council Member Alan Maisel, Council Member Stephen Levin, Council Member Robert Cornegy, and Council Member Laurie Cumbo, Sills Family Foundation, The New York Community Trust, Beth Codner and Henry E. Adam Family Foundation, The Howard Gilman Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts, The Curtis W. McGraw Foundation, Mertz Gilmore Foundation, The John N. Blackman Foundation, Con Edison, The Harkness Foundation for Dance, Atlantic Avenue Local Development Corporation, One Brooklyn Fund, Liberty Property Maintenance, Alloy, iStar, Miami Foundation, The Dorsey and Whitney Foundation.
