Hyde Park School of Dance Combines Ballet and Hip Hop In “The Nutcracker”

The Nutcracker takes place Friday, December 8 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, December 9 at 1 and 6 p.m.; and Sunday, December 10 at 2 p.m. At Mandel Hall, 1131 E. 57th Street in Chicago. Tickets, which go on sale November 1, are $40 for reserved seating (all ages); general admission tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for seniors (65+), $10 for children ages six to 18 and students with ID and free for children younger than six (but must reserve). Tickets and information are available at 773-493-8498 or hydeparkdance.org/tickets
The Nutcracker takes place Friday, December 8 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, December 9 at 1 and 6 p.m.; and Sunday, December 10 at 2 p.m. At Mandel Hall, 1131 E. 57th Street in Chicago. Tickets, which go on sale November 1, are $40 for reserved seating (all ages); general admission tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for seniors (65+), $10 for children ages six to 18 and students with ID and free for children younger than six (but must reserve). Tickets and information are available at 773-493-8498 or hydeparkdance.org/tickets

Hyde Park School of Dance Combines Ballet and Hip Hop In “The Nutcracker”

During an upcoming annual presentation of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, Hyde Park School of Dance (HPSD) will display several genres of dance including ballet, modern and hip hop. The performance will feature more than 175 dancers—from seven-year-olds to grandparents—supported by more than 100 volunteers.

Performances are December 8–10 at Mandel Hall on the University of Chicago campus, 1131 E. 57th Street, Chicago.

Staged by HPSD Founding Artistic Director August Tye, ballet mistress and choreographer at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the 90-minute narrated production follows Clara, Fritz and the mysterious Uncle Drosselmeyer from the family holiday party and the midnight battle with the Mouse Queen and her troops through the Land of Snow to the Kingdom of Sweets.

After last year’s enthusiastic response, HPSD again this year includes a hip hop dance battle to showcase the range of dance genres the school offers, as well as send a message of peace—instead of battling with swords, the

mouse-soldiers use hip hop as their “weapons.”

Each year, HPSD casts one or more Chicago VIPs as the honorary Mother Ginger. Last year’s guest performers included Hyde Park Bank President Mike McGarry, Hyde Park Herald editor Daschell Phillips and Obama Foundation Vice President of Civic Engagement Michael Strautmanis. Past Mother Gingers have included 5th Ward Alderman Leslie Hairston, State Representative Kimberly

DuBuclet, Ray Elementary School Principal Bernadette Butler and Court Theatre Artistic Director Charles Newell.

On Friday, December 8, HPSD performs an abridged version for more than 800 school children, many seeing their first ballet. The performance is part of HPSD’s community engagement program, STEPS (Serve, Train, Educate, Promote, Succeed).

Prior to each performance, the Pre-Ballet Holiday Show showcases 70 of HPSD’s youngest ballet students in performance.

Adding a special element to the performance experience, the Hyde Park School of Dance Holiday Bazaar offers an opportunity to meet characters from The Nutcracker, finish holiday shopping from the wares of local vendors and indulge in a hot chocolate bar and other treats. The Holiday Bazaar takes place Saturday, December 9 from noon to 6 p.m. and Sunday, December 10 from

noon to 5 p.m. in the McCormick Tribune Lounge on the first floor of the Reynolds Club, the same building housing Mandel Hall.

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