The contemporary dance organization Chocolate Ballerina Company presented its 4th annual premiere of βThe Nutcracker Dipped in Chocolateβ for the holiday season.
Courtesy of Ray Valdez
The production took place for two nights on December 21st and 22nd at Philadelphiaβs Mandell Theater on Drexel Universityβs campus. The classic holiday story of Clara and the Nutcracker was told uniquely by infusing rich African American culture into the enchanting journey. The two-hour experience was choreographed by the Founder and CEO of the company Chanel Holland-Pierre, Elexus Freeman, Ibn Snell, and Kareem Marsh.
Courtesy of Ray Valdez
Β Prior to the show, guests were welcomed into the theatre with an array of red and yellow balloons, holiday decor like giant nutcrackers, and a red carpet perfect for photo ops. Seats were filled with friends and family from all over the country for the two-act show. Act one of the performance begins with Clara receiving her wooden nutcracker who takes her on a magical journey after it comes to life. Act two was choreographed amongst other dance styles like house, 70s dance, praise dance, African, and many more rooted in African-American culture. After the talented dancers came out to give their final bow, Chanel Holland-Pierre made an appearance center stage to share her thanks and gratitude to the audience for her one-of-a-kind production.
Chanel encouraged the audience to stay tuned for next year’s production, marking it as her 5th year of βThe NutCracker Dipped in Chocolate.β
Courtesy of Ray Valdez
βThe Nutcracker Dipped in Chocolate,β is a one-of-a-kind production on the East Coast celebrating diversity through well-craftedΒ performances. Chocolate Ballerina Company is a dedicated dance company to elevating and emerging artists of color. By illustrating the struggles and success of African American culture through dance, their mission is to inspire and spark change in society. The company takes pride in providing elite training and technique to dancers to enhance their performance abilities and learn the importance of balancing their professional and personal lives. To keep up with the incredible company, you can visit their website or follow them on social media for what they have in store next.
