The Nutcracker is a holiday tradition for many families, and may seem constant and unchanging, year to year. However, every production is different – sets, costumes, and choreography are original to each company, even if the differences seem minor to the untrained eye. This December, The Soraya brings something entirely fresh, the highly lauded production of the holiday classic set to the 1960 musical adaptation by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, featuring the groundbreaking dance company Dorrance Dance.
Michelle Dorrance made her Soraya debut in the fall of 2023, appearing with ballet superstar Tiler Peck and a troupe of the best dancers in America. Among the many ballet talents onstage, everyone will remember standout Michelle Dorrance as the tap dancer who brought power, rhythm, and drive.
Looking ahead to December, this interview with Michelle and two of her collaborators/cast members delves into how they conceived the highly original Nutcracker Suite production, and also how it was derived from traditions of a different sort, especially American jazz music and tap dance. The excitement and joy from these three artists leaps off the screen.
Gratefully,
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The Nutcracker Suite
Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn, arrangement
Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky, composer
Dorrance Dance:
The Nutcracker Suite
Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn, arrangement
Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky, composer
Thu Dec 12 | 8PM
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About Director Selects
The Director Selects series is a sequence of interviews shared by The Soraya on Fridays throughout the year. Each features an artist who will perform in the season or a behind-the-scenes video, and a note from Executive and Artistic Director Thor Steingraber to give patrons a look behind the curtain and better understand that collaboration between the artist and The Soraya that goes into each performance.