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Arts & Entertainment

First Acrobatic Nutcracker in Town 12/18-12/22

For the first time, East meets West in "The Nutcracker." An unprecedented version of the holiday classic, titled "The Terracotta Prince," hits the Flint Center stage Dec 18-22, mixing classical ballet with magic and Chinese acrobatics.

"This is the most kid-friendly version of the Nutcracker," said Dennis Nahat, concept, staging and director of the show. "It's usually hard for children to sit through two hours of The Nutcracker, but this one will keep them entertained all the way through."

Nahat, with a dance degree from the Juilliard School of Music, co-founded the Cleveland Ballet in 1976 and created the co-venture of the Cleveland San Jose Ballet in 1985. From 1985 to January 2012, Ballet San Jose was under his leadership.

According to Nahat, when he saw Chinese acrobatic performances in China, he immediately found their compatibility with "The Nutcracker."

"People were surprised when I told them the idea," Nahat said. "They said this can't be put into The Nutcracker. I said yes, it can. Then I made it happen."

Nahat's adaption of "The Nutcracker" was first produced early this year and has been on tour in Europe, receiving raving reviews. In this production, the wooden nutcracker the main character Marie receives is not in the shape of an European soldier, but of a terracotta prince, who later comes to life.

While the plot of the show stays close to the original, there are not only ballet dancers but also magicians and highly skilled Chinese acrobats in Marie's dream. One of them, Lu Mingyue, specializes in holding 10 umbrellas simultaneously. In the meantime, another acrobat stands on one hand on top of a Christmas tree in the backdrop.

While the entire show is animated enough for children's taste, a shorter martinee version is still offered on Dec 21 and 22 for small children at lower ticket prices.

The revenue from the show's ticket sales will partially go to fund three scholarships for Master's degree students in the US, China, and Ireland, according to Nahat, who has founded Theatre Ventures International Ballet School and Productions as a nonprofit organization.

For tickets to "The Terracotta Prince," call Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000. For more information about the show, visit www.TerracottaPrince.com.





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