Hip Hop Nutcracker

Hip Hop Nutcracker comes to the Knight Theater at Levine Center for the Arts in Charlotte for a run that starts Tuesday, December 29, and goes through Sunday, January 3. It's a contemporary dance production that takes Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker and remixes it with hip-hop dance. The story stays the same—Marie-Clara and the Nutcracker Prince—but the setting moves from 19th-century Germany to contemporary New York City, with digital graffiti and visuals filling in the gaps. Elle called it a "one-of-a-kind experience, filled with high-powered choreography and a very modern storyline."

Jennifer Weber, a Tony and Olivier Award nominee, directs and choreographs the show. On stage, a dozen all-star dancers are joined by a DJ and a violinist, and the whole thing is billed as a holiday mash-up for the whole family, meant to celebrate love, community, and the magic of the season. The night opens with a short set from special guest MC Kurtis Blow.

There are six performances across the run, so you've got a few different times to choose from. The first two are Tuesday, Dec 29 and Wednesday, Dec 30, both at 7 PM. New Year's Eve brings a matinee on Thursday, Dec 31 at 2 PM. After the break, Saturday, Jan 2 has two shows—one at 2 PM and another at 7 PM—and the run closes Sunday, Jan 3 at 1:30 PM. Tickets start at $40.13, and if you're bringing a group of 10 or more, you get 10% off the base ticket price plus one complimentary ticket.