Photo Flash: Company XIV Premieres NUTCRACKER ROUGE

Neo-Baroque dance-theatre group Company XIV proudly presents the World Premiere of Nutcracker Rouge, a Baroque - Burlesque confection of dance, theatre and sumptuous design. The show is directed, choreographed and conceived by Austin McCormick, with a script adapted and written by Jeff Takacs. Nutcracker Rouge runs from December 10, 2010 to January 9, 2011 in a limited engagement at Company XIV's theatre space, located at 303 Bond Street, between Union & Sackett in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. Previews begin December 10 for a December 12 opening. Company XIV is donating 50% of the show's proceeds to the Ali Forney Center in New York City.

Performances are Fridays - Sundays at 8pm. No shows December 24 - 26. Tickets are $30 and $25 for students and seniors. Special New Year's Eve $40 ticket includes post-show champagne party with the company. The show contains partial nudity - no one under 16 years old will be admitted. To purchase tickets and for more information visit http://www.CompanyXIV.com or call 1-800-838-3006.

Nutcracker Rouge is a sparkling re-imagining of the beloved Nutcracker tale told with erotic, sensual, and opulent flair. From the twisted mind of director/choreographer Austin McCormick comes this hedonistic display of gorgeous and decadent winter entertainment. The extravaganza includes an eclectic blend of music, including pieces by Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, Duke Ellington, and text inspired by Alexandre Dumas's adaptation of E.T.A. Hoffman's The Nutcracker and Charles Perrault's Little Red Riding Hood.

Company XIV and Artistic Director Austin McCormick continue to garner critical acclaim. The New York Times calls Austin McCormick's work "inventive and brainy, a high-entertainment mix of music-hall, cabaret, theater and dance" and they praised Le Serpent Rouge as a "sensuous marvel." Flavorpill hailed Rouge a "glittery triumph." The Judgment of Paris was "deliciously excessive" declared Back Stage and Metro NY called Le Cirque Feerique "an appealing fantasia" with a cast "displaying world-class talent." "McCormick has a gift for understanding what captivates an audience," says Dance Magazine and The British Theatre Guide proclaimed, "Here is a company with something to say and the brains, eloquence, and goddamn balls with which to say it." Company XIV was nominated for five 2010 New York Innovative Theater Awards for their productions of Le Serpent Rouge and Snow White.

Company XIV, a Black Book Magazine 'Icon Of The Future', is a non-profit mixed media dance/theater company based in Brooklyn, NY. Founded by Artistic Director Austin McCormick in 2005, the company works in the mediums of live dance/theater and film. Company XIV is contemporary, yet baroque inspired, with a mission to produce compelling theatrical dance productions that create a beautiful affecting experience. Company XIV is the resident company of 303 Bond Street, a Brooklyn space converted from a tow truck warehouse to a theater.

Austin McCormick is a director, choreographer, dancer and teacher based in NYC. He was awarded a 2009 NYIT Award for Outstanding Choreography/Movement for The Judgment of Paris. His unique blend of Baroque vocabulary in conjunction with contemporary movement and theatrical staging is commanding attention. His work has been produced at Lincoln Center's Peter Jay Sharp Theater, Alice Tully Hall, Clark Studio Theater, Alvin Ailey Studios, Symphony Space, The Kennedy Center by City Dance and the Mark Morris Dance Center. In 2007, he was the recipient of the Susan Braun Award, a grant given to one young choreographer/filmmaker by Dance Films Association. Subsequently, his dance film Folies d'Espagne premiered at the Walter Reade Cinema in Lincoln Center. The film was nominated for the Jury Prize at Dance on Camera Lincoln Center 2008 and the Cinedans Award at the 2008 Cinedans Int'l Film Festival in Amsterdam. Austin has performed with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet of NY. He graduated in 2006 with a BFA from the Juilliard School.

The Company XIV ensemble includes Marisol Cabrera, Laura Careless, Sean Gannon, YEva Glover, Michael Hodge, Mina Lawton, David Martinez, Delphina Parenti, Marla Phelan and Jeff Takacs.

The creative team includes Zane Pihlstrom Set and Costume Design and Gina Scherr Lighting Design.

The Ali Forney Center AFC was started in June of 2002 in response to the lack of safe shelter for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender LGBT youth in New York City. They are committed to providing these young people with safe, dignified, nurturing environments, where their needs can be met, and where they can begin to put their lives back together. Tragically, as many as 25% of these teens are rejected by their families, and many end up homeless on the streets. Homeless LGBT teens are more likely than straight homeless teens to be subjected to violence on the streets, and in the homeless shelter system. They suffer from inordinate rates of mental illness, trauma, HIV infection and substance abuse. http://www.aliforneycenter.org

Photo Credit: Corey Tatarczuk