November 2016 - Cover: Keshet Dance Company says goodbye to Nutcracker on the Rocks
Keshet Dance Company has been presenting Nutcracker on the Rocks for 20 years. It became a staple of the holiday season. When news broke that the beloved show would be taking its final bow this year, it came as a surprise to the community which has come to love the show that put a creative twist on the well-known ballet. *Opening with Tchaikovsky's Overture and closing with his dramatic Pas de Deux, the classic tale is re-imagined with a production filled with rock and roll hits by the Velvet Underground, Aretha Franklin, The Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin and much more. Modern dance styles infused with Swing, Hip Hop, African dance propel the performers as they amp up the energy and excitement. Founder and Artistic Director, Shira Greenberg’s final Nutcracker on the Rocks will include new surprises for long-time audience members and fun for the entire family! Carolyn Tobias, Communications Director for Keshet, took a moment to share with New Mexico Entertainment the decision to end the show and what Keshet will plan for future holiday seasons.
Why the decision to have this be the final year? As Shira Greenberg has said, "What has been Keshet’s signature production for 20 years will now come to a close making room for new productions, new programming and new adventures.” This final run of Shira Greenberg’s Nutcracker on the Rocks will include dancers and participants from the past two decades of the production making cameo appearances and bidding farewell to the award-winning, internationally acclaimed production.
How does it feel to say goodbye to such a well-known show? It is both exciting and sad, but mostly exciting. The sense of community around the cast and families who have grown up with Nutcracker on the Rocks is an integral part of Keshet as a whole. That is not going away. Keshet will announce a new fall/winter production in 2017 that will bring the same inclusive community engagement that is the foundation of Nutcracker on the Rocks and all Keshet programming. Cohesion Dance Project in Helena, Montana, secured the rights to Shira Greenberg’s trademarked re-creation of the holiday classic in 2013 and will continue to perform Nutcracker on the Rocks.
What is the future of Keshet during the holiday season? Keshet will hold a winter production in 2017, however, the unveiling of what that will look like will be later in the new year, as now we focus on celebrating the fun farewell season.
The final performance of Shira Greenberg’s Nutcracker on the Rocks will run from November 26th - December 3rd. Learn more at http://www.keshetarts.org/nutcracker-on-the-rocks/
*Provided by Keshet press release and website