Dorrance Dance on Dec 5, 2024 | UCSB Arts & Lectures

Michelle Dorrance, Hannah Heller, Josette Wiggan, Co-creators
Music Arranged by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn

“More than any group I can think of, these artists revel deeply in the underestimated art of play.” The Washington Post

“The orchestrations are playful, surprising, imaginative. Ms. Dorrance and her collaborators… have responded in kind.” The New York Times

Tap and jazz take on Tchaikovsky in Dorrance Dance’s vibrant version of this beloved holiday classic. The renowned tap company boogies, slides, struts and dives through the magical story of a young girl and her fantastical Christmas adventure. Taking their cue from Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s extraordinary reinterpretation of The Nutcracker Suite, Michelle Dorrance and co-choreographers Hannah Heller and Josette Wiggan transform the Sugar Plum Fairy into a slinky Sugar Rum Cherry, while the “March of the Toy Soldiers” becomes a swinging “Peanut Brittle Brigade.” Featuring live music.