Our very own Trae Holiday had an opportunity to speak with Hip-Hop legend and icon, Mr. Kurtis Blow about The Hip Hop Nutcracker which will be making stops across the Pacific Northwest in November (Seattle 11/13. Olympia 11/15, and Portland 11/16). Blow spoke about his recently successful heart surgery, the challenges of COVID, and what the Hip Hop Nutcracker is all about. Check out the video and you can visit http://hiphopnutcracker.com/ for mroe info. #WWConverge

About the Hip Hop Nutcracker

Everything old is new again. Tchaikovsky’s 129-year-old ballet is reimagined as a holiday dance spectacle in The Hip Hop Nutcracker, hitting the road to 33 cities. The tour kicks off in San Diego on November 6 before zig-zagging around the country to Oakland, St. Louis, Atlanta, New York City, Boston and more. The production -- now in its triumphant return for a seventh season -- features hip hop pioneer Kurtis “The Breaks” Blow, the first rapper to be signed by a major label in 1979. Forty two years and a heart transplant later, hip hop’s founding father is still performing as MC of The Hip Hop Nutcracker. 

Upon seeing The Hip Hop Nutcracker, ballet legend Mikhail Baryshnikov said, "Athleticism is one thing and artistry is another, but Jennifer Weber's Hip Hop Nutcracker puts the two together like I've never seen. It's deeply moving, ingeniously modern and pure magic." 

Weber is the Olivier and Emmy Award-nominated choreographer for the powerhouse cast of one dozen all-star dancers, an on-stage DJ, and an electric violinist who turn the beloved Tchaikovsky score on its head, while celebrating hip hop dance culture, love, and community. 

Blow has paved the way for generations of hip-hop artists after scoring the first certified gold record rap song in 1980, “The Breaks.” Blow is also responsible for “Christmas Rappin’, the perennial first rap holiday song. His recent heart transplant has given him new perspective on life, his fans and touring.

“It’s incredible for me to meet fans, and their kids, and their kids’ kids who love hip hop music,” says Blow. “It reminds me of how The Nutcracker brings people of all ages together too. I hope everyone makes holiday memories for a lifetime when they come to our show.”

In The Hip Hop Nutcracker, Maria-Clara and the Nutcracker prince go on a dream adventure battling a gang of mice, visiting the land of sweets, and learning the lessons of the holiday season. Innovative digital graffiti and visuals transform the landscape of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s beloved story from traditional 19th Century Germany to the vibrant, diverse sights and sounds of a colorful and contemporary New York City.  The Hip Hop Nutcracker is an authentic expression of hip-hop dance and culture that celebrates the magic of the entire holiday season on the most inclusive holiday of them all - New Year’s Eve, a time for new beginnings. 

Directed and choreographed by Jennifer Weber, The Hip Hop Nutcracker features an exciting group of performers who bring her imaginatively modern show to life. The cast includes Ann-Sylvia Clark as Maria-Clara; Gabriel Alvarez as The Nutcracker; Liliana “Lily” Frias as Mom; Bryan Longchamp as Dad; Lisa “Lboogie” Bauford as Drosselmeyer; Randi (Freitas) Fleckenstine as Mouse King, Ensemble; Anthony “Omen” Cabrera as Toy, Ensemble; Jackie “JK-47” Agudo as Tea, Ensemble; Zuce Morales asToy/Ensemble; Seth “Reaktion” Hillard as Russian, Ensemble; Jon “Gifted” Jimenez as Chocolate/Ensemble; Dustin “D-Payne” Payne as Flute, Ensemble; Ethan Evaro as Swing/Understudy; Jarvis L. Benson as Violinist (thru 12/19); Claudius as Violinist (from 12/20); Teofilo V. Recitas II “DJ Boo” as Performance DJ; and Kurtis Blow as MC.

For more information about where to purchase tickets to The Hip Hop Nutcracker, visit www.hiphopnutcracker.com. For the latest news and updates follow The Hip Hop Nutcracker on Facebook, Instagram (@hiphopnutcracker), and YouTube; #HipHopNutcracker.\

November 13. Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre

November 15 Olympia, WA Washington Center for the Performing Arts

November 16. Portland, OR. Keller Auditorium