A holiday mash-up for the whole family, The Hip Hop Nutcracker celebrates its 10th anniversary this season. Directed and choreographed by Jennifer Weber, this spectacle is a re-mixed and re-imagined version of the classic, smashing hip hop dance and Tchaikovsky’s timeless music together into an inspirational holiday event. Wednesday, December 7, 7:30 PM at the Providence Performing Arts Center, 220 Weybosset St Providence, RI.
The Three Nights of Lights festival at the Providence Rink last week was rescheduled due to technical issues with refrigeration. That means you still have a chance to catch Montréal’s Le Patin Libre presented by FirstWorks. The international ice-dancing company appears Thursday, December 8 with three free performances at 6, 7 and 8 PM, followed by an ice-skating dance party until 9:30PM at BankNewport City Center, The Providence Rink.
Northeast Youth Ballet’s, The Nutcracker, is the enchanting journey of a young girl named Clara who dreams of an adventure through a winter wonderland with her Nutcracker Prince to a Palace of Dancing Sweets. The annual holiday production features the talents of more than 100 dancers from the greater Boston area. With beautiful costumes, lavish sets and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s magnificent score, you are sure to experience the wonder of ballet and the magic of the season. Friday, December 9- Sunday, December 11 at the J. Everett Collins Center for the Performing Arts, Andover, MA.
The untold story of the Extraordinary Nutcracker by artistic director and choreographer Gianni Di Marco is an epic story ballet of love, adventure, and magic. Follow our heroine as she embarks on a magical adventure to save the love of her life. Immerse yourself in a new all-abilities tradition with our holiday market, arts and crafts, and photo booth Friday, December 9, 7:00 PM & Saturday, December 10, 1:30 PM. A free 30-minute adaptive dance workshop will be hosted post-performance on December 10. At the Multicultural Arts Center, Cambridge.
Lifeway Kefir Immersive Nutcracker Dance Class welcomes families with kids of all ages to join Urbanity for a fun 45-minute dance class choreographed in harmony with Tchaikovsky’s sweeping score and the moving images of the enchanting Immersive Nutcracker exhibit. All participants will receive a nutritious kefir sample compliments of Lifeway Kefir. December 11, 18, 22, 24 and 29, at 130 Columbus Ave, Boston.
All Levels (beginner-friendly) Queer Tango classes focusing on embrace and milonga with Elly Fernandez! Mondays, December 5 and 12, 7-9 PM. 7:00 – 8:30: All Levels Class; 8:30 – 9: Informal Dancing. Classes will take place at José Mateo Ballet Theatre, Studio 3 (2nd floor), 400 Harvard St, Cambridge. Clean, soft-soled shoes are required. (Socks are also fine). Masks required.
Convergent Waves: Boston Immersive Art Short Film by Lenora Lee Dance featuring local dancers, in collaboration with Pao Arts Center, reclaims space by eliciting stories of community agency, resilience, and transformation
Inspired by rich narrative, this work calls for community-oriented development in the face of rapid change, making a collective statement for the preservation of community, as neighborhoods across the country face cultural erosion, loss of businesses, and displacement through gentrification. Available on demand from Tuesday, December 6, 5 PM through Tuesday, December 20, 5 PM.
Ariaki Dandawate comes to The Dance Complex for an Intro to Kathak Fundamentals workshop. Kathak is an Indian classical dance style from North India, characterized by complex rhythmic footwork, fast spins/pirouettes, graceful wrist and torso movements, and engaging expressions or abhinaya. Ariaki will help students internalize the fundamentals of the dance style, so they can accurately express themselves within complex movement in this workshop. Tuesday, December 6 7-9 PM.
Bring your boogie shoes to the Motion State Arts Party Wednesday, December 7, 7–9 PM in support of the third annual Motion State Dance Festival happening next spring. Highlights include performances by Shura Baryshnikov and the 2023 festival artist reveal! At the Dye House, 46 Dike Street, Providence, RI.
Melissa Buffer will be teaching an ongoing Strength and Conditioning class for Artists at the Dance Complex in Central Square, studio 2, Thursdays 5:30-6:30 PM starting December 8 (except 12/29). This class will be a mix of conditioning, strength, power, movement, breath, and lots of learning. It will be adaptable to all backgrounds and levels, but not great if you have any active injury. Melissa has been a PT working with performing artists for many years, and knows strength and conditioning is a critical part of your overall health and injury prevention.
The Brazil to Boston connection returns! Join DJ G for a series of House workshops this December! The workshop series runs from Thursday, December 8, to Wednesday, December 14 at the Dance Complex, Floor Lords Studio and CCCA. Join the ending House Dance Party on Thursday December 15, 8:30-10:30 PM at CCCA.
Pachedu (F)ALL Ensembles, the annual fall concert featuring Williams College’s dance ensembles happens this week. Pachedu means “among ourselves” in the language of Zimbabwe’s Shona people and is an opportunity to share repertoire, new dance, and music in development. Thursday, December 8 and Friday, December 9, 7 PM at MainStage, ’62 Center for Theatre & Dance, 1000 Main Street, Williamstown, MA.
The Winter Choreographic Workshop is a pre-professional experience for dancers ages 16–24, with choreographer Heather Stewart, director of little house dance based in Portland, MA.
The workshop takes place over the weekend of December 10–11, meeting Saturday from 1-5 PM, and Sunday from 9 AM-12 PM. Possible performance opportunity for interested dancers following the weekend workshop at MAGMA Gloucester, 11 Pleasant St, suite 64, Gloucester, MA.
Join Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre’s Open House at their Dorchester location. Enjoy ballet, pre-ballet and creative dance classes. Saturday, December 10, 9:00 AM-1:45 PM at 14 Cushing Ave.
From Micro to Expansive C.I. 2-day workshop with Jonathan Brússolo (Argentina). During the workshop you will explore through different somatic approaches, inviting attention to become body and presence, testing how to distribute weight, and how force travels through bodies in different directions. Ideas of weight, counterweight, falls, lifts, dynamic architectures and adaptations to a mutable form will be present. Saturday, December 10 & Sunday, December 11, 11 AM-2 PM, studio MOTA, Somerville.
The Dance Complex welcomes Nomads, a local Boston-based choreography team with their first choreography showcase Showmads on Saturday, December 10, at 7 PM. Nomads, established in 2018, strives to foster family, acceptance, diversity, and passion for dance within the Boston dance community. They will present their season set as well as choreography projects created by individual members of Nomads. Pre-registration required.
The MUD application for 2023 is now live! MUD (Movement Under Development) artists will meet bi-weekly with Daniel McCusker at The Cultural Equity Incubator in Boston to practice generating and composing movement material in community and under the mentorship of a seasoned professional. Eventual Dance Company and Midday Movement Series host two Zoom info sessions, Wednesday, December 14 at 6:30 PM and Friday, December 16 at 12:00 PM to answer any questions about the program and the application process. MUD is open to dance artists working in contemporary forms ages 18+. Preference will be given to those who are not currently pursuing a degree at an academic institution. Artists from across New England (MA, NH, VT, CT, RI, ME) are welcome to apply, pending your ability to participate in this in-person Boston based programming. Preference will be given to those working in Metro Boston. Applications are due on Friday, December 23 at midnight
In partnership with the City of Boston’s Office of Art & Culture, Assets for Artists shares a series of free workshops designed with Boston area artists in mind. Please note, live workshop access is only open to Boston area artists. Recorded access will be made available for artists across MA with pre-registration. Space is limited.
- Protecting our Practice and Creative Self with Ngoc-Tran Vu // February 1, 2-4 PM
- Financial Well-Being Through Interdependence with Amy Smith & jumatatu m. poe // February 9 & 16, 2-4 PM
- An Introduction to Cooperatives in the Arts with Daniel Park // March 28, 2-5 PM
On the occasion of her 2022 Dance Magazine award being presented December 5, a look back at sometimes-Martha’s Vineyard resident Lucinda Childs’ landmark collaboration, “Dance”.
Hoping the run-up to the holidays are not too hectic and full of delights!
Boston Dance Alliance is looking towards to a bright 2023, but we can’t provide free services like our weekly Pro/Motion newsletter without your support. Please consider a tax deductible donation today!
Best,
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Debra Cash, Executive Director