NUTRACKER SUITE & SPICY Streams For Free This Holiday

"The Nutcracker Suite & Spicy"-the rousing, toe-tapping, high-kicking spin on the classical ballet choreographed and directed by Carolyn Paine and performed by CONNetic Dance is returning to delight audiences with a free virtual stream this year. Beginning December 11, the critically acclaimed production alongside the documentary film about it will be presented in partnership with the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art. The stream will be available through December 31.

This production has truly become a staple in the holiday season for CT and the production team is very excited to utilize the opportunity of streaming the show online to allow it to reach a broader audience globally. "The Nutcracker Suite & Spicy" is a unique and lively re-imagining of the holiday ballet classic that offers a much needed contemporary update filled with top-notch professional dancing and a great sense of humor. The show has been featured nationally in DanceInforma Magazine which cited it among the top three unique re-boots of the Nutcracker along with Mark Morris' "Hard Nut" and Jennifer Weber's "Hip Hop Nutcracker."

With "The Nutcracker Suite & Spicy,", audiences of this stream are in for the usual treats the production has provided for over a decade of performances including the diverse and talented cast. The quirky, innovative production also features memorable scenes such as the riotous Ugly Sweater Christmas party and the dizzying SnowBall-a beautiful scene with dancers wearing eye-popping LED tutus gliding across the stage on large pearly white exercise balls as snow falls. There are also memorable characters including a male hip-hop Sugar Rum Cherry, the delightfully devilish Club Rat, and of course CONNetic Dance's signature Florettes, who perform a Rockettes-inspired Waltz of the Flowers kick-line. And all of this is beautifully captured in high-quality, multi-camera shot action that brings viewers closer to the show and its characters then ever before offering unique perspectives that transport the viewer into the action on stage and from the wings.

"The Nutcracker Suite & Spicy" blends exceptionally talented dancers of many disciplines and backgrounds to update the classic holiday tale in a relatable contemporary way that truly reflects the dance world as well as an urban environment-like Hartford, the city it hails from. The production's choreography and story fuses together ballet, contemporary, hip hop, breakdancing, jazz, tap, ballroom, and acrobatics with some dancers who were classically trained in the studio, and others having honed their skills on the street. This show also has been at the vanguard for changing the problematic way the classic international characters in Act 2 are presented by re-tooling that concept in a fun and creative way for the culturally sensitive audience-a trend many dance companies nationwide are now attempting.

"This show and its choreography really celebrates diversity at its core. It merges a diverse group of dancers and their styles seamlessly to retell the story in a more relatable and fun contemporary voice. In the year of #blacklivesmatter, a production like this shows what is possible when we do come together in an inclusive way to celebrate, inspire, and support each other," says show creator Carolyn Paine. "I am honored to have been at the center of this production and to have been able to use this show to respond to social issues-which is even more important following the events of this year. And while we all miss performing live, I am so excited to have the opportunity to share this show and what it represents in this different way and to an even larger audience through this film version."

The production will be streamed along with the 25 minute documentary short film, "The Nutcracker Suite & Spicy: 10 Years in the Making" by CineVerite Productions. This film, released in 2019, follows the remarkable evolution of the creative process surrounding the production from its genesis to its 10th year on the Aetna Theater stage while also examining the cultural relevance of rebooting the holiday classic for a contemporary audience. The captivating documentary film was an official selection at the 2019 New Haven Documentary Film Festival and a winner in the 2020 International Fine Arts Film Festival.

STREAM INFORMATION

The stream will be available for FREE to all viewers December 11-31, 2020 via wadsworth.org and conneticdance.com.

In addition to the stream, there will be several virtual events including a virtual cocktail party, giveaways, fun activity downloads, and talk backs. Visit the websites for more information!

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