Tutu-clad movers and shakers across the borough are one again taking a crack at the cherished holiday ballet. Here are a handful of “Nutracker” productions hitting local stages this December.
“The Hard Nut”
The American Ballet Theatre this year abandoned the Brooklyn Academy of Music for its annual “Nutcracker” after a five-year run — making room for the triumphant return of neighborhood favorite Mark Morris Dance Group’s darkly comedic modern variation, set in the 1970s with dancing G.I. Joes and gender-bending casting.
Brooklyn Academy of Music (30 Lafayette Ave. between Ashland Place and St. Felix Street, (718) 636–4199, www.bam.org). Dec. 12–20. Tickets start at $25.
“The Brooklyn Nutcracker Sweet!”
Dancers from the Brooklyn Ballet Company will wear light-up, motion-sensor tutus, and introduce some modern, genre-spanning dance moves for a 21st-century flair on the holiday staple.
The Actor’s Fund Arts Center (160 Schermerhorn St. between Smith and Hoyt streets, (718) 246-0146, www.brook
“The Nutcracker”
Legendary local ballerina Gelsey Kirkland — who danced the lead in a televised broadcast of “The Nutcracker” in the 1970s — is co-directing this more traditional take, which will premiere at the company’s new Dumbo headquarters for the first time this winter.
Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet (29 Jay St. between John and Plymouth Streets, (212) 600–0047, www.gelse
