‘The Nutcracker’ Just Got A Hip-Hop Makeover… And It’s Beyond Awesome.

When *The Nutcracker* made its debut in St. Petersburg, Russia on December 18, 1892, it marked a holiday tradition that is still popular today. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s composition has been famous for being a double billed program: combining the score with ballet. The classical production has been interpreted by the most prestigious ballet companies in the world. Maestro Victor Vener from the California Philharmonic Orchestra invited a new batch of modern, urban dancers for this year’s production. Cyrus “Glitch” Spencer, Kevin “Konkrete” Davis and James “BDash” Derrick from *So You Think You Can Dance* and *America’s Best Dance Crew* dressed up as toy soldiers to perform alongside the symphony. The trio’s hip-hop moves timed perfectly to the music. Vener came up with the idea asking, “why don’t we put hip-hop dancers doing pinwheels and doing 21st century street dance instead of the Russians doing 19th century street dance?” His new concept is brilliant.