Dance The World Nutcracker Festival Set for The Secret Theatre Tonight

Set to Duke Ellington's jazz arrangement of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker suite, Act 1 opens on a hoppin' holiday party in a New York City Brownstone at the height of the roaring 20's. At the party, Clara receives a nutcracker doll from her mysterious aunt Drossa Myer. Little does she know that the Nutcracker has a magical spell cast upon it. Later that night the Nutcracker tethers a magical snowstorm that carries Clara on a magical adventure to the 1922 World's Fair in Rio De Janiero. In Act 2, the world's fair, New York City's top cultural dance companies will perform.

This production celebrates the diverse cultures that call New York City home and aims to educate audiences about various kinds of cultural dance and music.

When: Tuesday December 15- Sunday December 20

Where: The Secret Theatre, 44-02 23rd St, Long Island City, NYC, NY 11101, (718) 392- 0722

Tickets: $25 General Admission, $20 Students/Seniors/Artists; Ticket Sales begin November 1st

Running time: 1 hour, 15 minutes - including intermission

Show times:

Tuesday December 15th at 8pm

Wednesday December 16 at 8pm

Thursday December 17th at 8pm

Friday December 18th at 8pm

Saturday December 19th at 7pm

Sunday December 20th at 3pm

The Secret Theatre is in The Long Island City Art Center which is two blocks from MoMA's PS1, two blocks from Silvercup Studios and one block from The Citibank Tower at Courthouse Square. It is close to the 59 St Bridge and also the Mid Town Tunnel. 7, E, M or G TRAIN TO COURTHOUSE/23, ALSO CLOSE TO THE N, Q AT QUEENSBORO PLAZA AND THE R TRAIN AT QUEENS PLAZA. ACCESSIBLE BY BUS FROM BROOKLYN ON THE B61 BUS AND FROM MANHATTAN BY Q60 AND Q32

Producer/Director: Julie Petrusak, Artistic Director of JP Dance Group

Lighting Designer: Jennie Rodriguez

Scenery projection Design: Shannon Copfer

Performers: JP Dance Group: Diego Aleixo, Deborah Chambers, Diane Hutchinson, Dale Jezwinski, Samantha Needles, Erke Roosen, Debbie Schneider, Pei-Rong Wu

(JP Dance Group dancers will perform the first act as well as supporting roles in the 2nd act)

2nd Act Guest Artists, to be Announced Soon!

Why the Nutcracker? The Nutcracker is one of the most attended and most widely recognized dance productions in the USA. There are people who do not attend dance performances regularly, but will go see The Nutcracker each year as part of their holiday traditions. I thought it would be interesting to take the production and reinvent it in a way that presents all different types of dance and music that the audience might not otherwise see, and hopefully gain a deeper understanding of the diversity that is a part of dance, and a part of American culture as a whole.

What is Cultural Dance? We define world/cultural dance as dance that is an authentic representation of an artist's culture, nationality, heritage, and/or ethnicity. We want each artist to interpret this definition for themselves. The festival will feature contemporary work, fusions of both contemporary and traditional styles, as well as works that aim to preserve traditional dance practices of a particular nation. We welcome a variety of perspectives on the term "cultural", and hope that this production will provide the audience with a deeper understanding of diversity.

About JP Dance Group

JP Dance Group is a contemporary dance company founded in 2013 by Artistic Director/Choreographer Julie Petrusak and dedicated to inspiring, educating and entertaining, its audiences. We believe that dance is the ideal format for storytelling and strive to deliver powerful dance narratives that resonate with people of all ages and walks of life. JPDG blends dance and drama to connect with the audience in a unique way and to share our stories. JPDG truly believes that dance moves everyone and is dedicated to promoting diversity in dance and making the arts accessible to all. Based in Harlem, the company regularly presents work in New York City and aims to expand its reach to new audiences throughout the metropolitan area. Through a partnership with Riverbank State Park's Young People Performance Series, the company provides free dance performances to approximately 2,500 children and senior citizens each year. (http://jpdancegroup.org)

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