Hip Hop Nutcracker

When: Mon., Dec. 23, 7 p.m. 2019

For many, The Nutcracker, the 1892 ballet production set to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s iconic score, conjures imagery of pristine ballerinas and elaborate costumes — pretty much whatever the opposite of break-dancing is. Entering its sixth year is the Hip-hop Nutcracker, a community-centric remix of the holiday classic turning Maria-Clara, the Nutcracker Prince, and a gang of mice on their heads. Though the plot and score stay true to the original production, The Hip-hop Nutcracker sets the story in vibrant contemporary New York City, featuring a cast of high-energy dancers, DJs, a violinist, and hip-hop founding father MC Kurtis Blow, who will kick off the performance with a short set.