Presidio Dance Theatre Presents BEYOND THE LAND OF SWEETS

Presidio Dance Theatre today announced it will present the premiere screening of Beyond the Land of Sweets™ - Celebrating Holidays Across Cultures on Thursday, December 3 at 6.30 p.m. for a family movie night on a 40' X 20" HD LED screen at the historic Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture Drive-In.

Conceived and directed by Company Artistic Director Sherene Melania in 2010, Beyond the Land of Sweets™ is the Company's popular holiday ballet, a lively spin-off of the cherished Nutcracker ballet and follows the adventures of young Clara attending a festive party on Christmas Eve to delighting in holiday traditions across world cultures including Armenia, Hawai'i, Israel, Mexico, Ireland, and a special stop at the enchanting American city of Whoville, renowned for its dancing reindeers and "Tinsel the Tree."

Presidio Dance Theatre's Melania said, "I'm delighted we were able to find a way to bring people together and share some, much needed holiday spirit. Flix at Fort Mason provides a great opportunity for a safe, live event. This year, we're including a pre-show video Cracking the Nut, featuring a fantastic group of international stars of the ballet world, that I have the privilege of calling my friends, sharing their favorite Nutcracker memories and a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes. Throughout the pandemic, Presidio Dance Theatre has been able to develop new, innovative ways of continuing to share the gift of dance and connecting Bay Area audiences with the universal power and beauty of the art form."

The Cracking the Nut roster of dancers include: Celisa Diuana, former soloist with London's Royal Ballet; Igor Kolb, principal artist with Russia's Mariinsky Theatre; Carolina Ureta Sanchez, former principal artist with Mexico's National Company of Ballet; Sasha de Sola, principal artist with San Francisco Ballet; Rasta Thomas, founder of Bad Boys of Dance and formerly with Dance Theatre of Harlem; Joseph Walsh, principal dancer with San Francisco Ballet; and select members of the Presidio Dance Theatre company.

Presidio Dance Theatre's production of Beyond the Land of Sweets™ was written and directed by Sherene Melania and features choreography, after Marius Petipa, by Sherene Melania; additional choreography has been provided by Nemenzo Te Fare, Ronit Ronen Tamir, Norberto Martinez and Courtney Kiel; Narration by Erin Durrah; Sound Design and Production by Judy Kirschner and Andre Zweers; and Lighting Design by Patty Ann Farrell. Costumes were constructed by Mariinsky Theatre Atelier, St. Petersburg, Russia. The entire evening will last approximately 75 minutes and presented without intermission.

Regular tickets are $50 per vehicle and a limited number of VIP tickets are $100 per vehicle. It is advised that all attendees must purchase tickets ahead of time www.fortmason.org/event/flix/; tickets will not be sold onsite at the drive-in. Beginning at 5.30 p.m., a limited capacity of 98 cars with pre-purchased tickets will be admitted and spaced every six feet between vehicles. Masks are required of all attendees over the age of 2 when outside of their vehicle visiting restrooms and concessions. Guests will not be permitted to watch the ballet outside of their cars. San Francisco's Fort Mason Center for the Arts & Culture is located on the waterfront at 2 Marina Boulevard.

Presidio Dance Theatre (PDT), now in its 23rd season, is an acclaimed multi-generational dance company widely recognized for its signature style of Ethno-Classical Ballet. The company tours nationally and internationally, supporting humanitarian causes, earning prestigious awards, including the U.S. State Department's "Distinguished Service in Cultural Diplomacy through Dance." Spurring youth development, PDT's DANCEOUT! targets economically and educationally disadvantaged SFUSD students.

For more information, visit www.presidiodance.org.

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