A holiday mash-up for the entire family, The Hip Hop Nutcracker is celebrating its 10th anniversary this season as it returns for another spectacular tour.
Directed and choreographed by Jennifer Weber, this contemporary dance spectacle is a re-mixed and re-imagined version of the classic story, smashing hip hop, dance, and Tchaikovksy’s timeless music together into a heart-stirring and inspirational holiday event. This production is brought to life by a powerhouse cast of all-star dancers, a DJ, a violinist, and MC Kurtis Blow, one of the founders and creators of recorded rap. A timeless artist and legend, Blow blazed the trail for early hip hop artists and continues to carry the torch for hip hop music in new arenas.
The Hip Hop Nutcracker will be at the Coral Springs Center for the Arts on Sunday, December 11, 2022, and OutClique caught up with Blow to talk more about the show and what makes it so special.
Photo Courtesy of Kurtis Blow
Denny Patterson: Hi, Kurtis! Thank you for taking some time to chat with me about The Hip Hop Nutcracker. What can audiences expect?
Kurtis Blow: Audiences can expect an incredible showing of the classic story with the incredible Tchaikovsky playlist with diffusion of hip hop funky beats. You have 12-13 incredibly talented dancers doing their thing, breakdancing and hip hopping to the classical music. It is an incredible story that we present to all the audiences, and there’s something for the whole family to come together in the spirit of love. That message that love conquers all.
DP: Can you talk a bit more about your role in the show?
KB: I am the host and the emcee of the show, so I come out in the intro and get everyone prepared for what they are about to see. I take them back with a medley of old school hip hop songs because the story starts off in 1980 New Year’s Eve, so I get everyone in the spirit of that old school hip hop with the medley, and they’re all dancing, standing up in the house, throwing their hands in the air, and making a whole lot of noise. I sing a song at the end of the intro called “New Year’s Eve,” and I have everyone countdown from 10-1 and have them scream ‘Happy New Year’ at the end. Then we start the show, and then I come back at the end. It’s an enjoyable event that will have people feeling good inside. When they leave, they are revitalized and energized to spread the love this holiday season.
DP: This is the 10th anniversary of the show. Have you been involved with this production since the beginning?
KB: Yes, I came in the first year, and I was actually invited to one of the rehearsals over at NJPAC, home of The Hip Hop Nutcracker. I saw these B-boys and B-girls doing this thing to classical music with a fusion of funky hip hop beats, and I was amazed. I’m a fan of that fusion of classical music and hip hop, and when I saw this, I was like, man, I have to be a part of this.
DP: How would you say The Hip Hop Nutcracker has evolved over the years into today’s production?
KB: Well, I have to shout out Jennifer Weber, our choreographer. She’s also one of the big creators, and man, she does adaptations, transitions, and additions to the choreography, and it’s
incredible to see how amazing of a talented person that she is bringing in this new flavor every year. This year, they surprised me again with another change in the choreography. We have a Drosselmeyer, who handles all the magic and special effects, as we would call them. So, she comes out at some point in the show and has strings tied to one of the dancers, and it’s like she’s a puppeteer. They do this routine together and it’s incredible. When I saw that for the first time, I was like, Oh my God! What a great addition. So, Jennifer comes up with stuff like that all the time, and it’s amazing to see how it changes from year to year. Also, a big shout out to Randi, our assistant choreographer. She’s doing some great things with the dance routines as well.
Photo Courtesy of Cheryl Mann
DP: Is there a part of the show that is your absolute favorite?
KB: I have several parts because, of course, I’m biased (laughs). The intro is incredible, and also the end when I sing the breaks, but there are parts in this show where you get to see this magic. There’s one scene where the Nutcracker gets defeated by the Mouse King, or Mouse Queen in this case, so Drosselmeyer comes up and does this magical spell on him, and some shoes, some Nikes or whatever, are hanging from the light post. They drop down right in front of him and he puts the shoes on. Before that, he was a normal dancer, but when he puts the magical shoes on, he turns into this incredible B-boy doing all these power moves and beats all the enemies. That’s like the theme of the show. A story of two people falling in love, and that love creates a special magic that can defeat evil. We need that nowadays more than ever.
DP: You are known as a hip hop legend, who has blazed the trail for early artists, and you are also one of the first rappers to be signed by a major label. What makes this genre of music and dance so special to you?
KB: Because the whole thing about hip hop and the culture of hip hop is the love of music, and music is so important and powerful. I’m just learning about the different frequencies and using music to heal your body. Using music to meditate, hypnosis, and change your whole outlook and mindset of life. This is how powerful this music is. So, when you talk about hip hop, it is now the number one streamed genre of music around the world. Everyone is tuning in and trying to listen and hear what hip hop has to say. We have arrived, and it’s just incredible and awesome to see how powerful it is. We are the voice of the people, we changed the world, and we’re out to change the world again. My message to all the young people out there is that the future is yours, the world is yours, hip hop is yours, so do the right thing.
Photo Courtesy of Cheryl Mann
DP: Are there any future goals you hope to accomplish with your career?
KB: I would love to do a couple of movies, and I’m going to write some books. It’s not over for me. I’m just getting started. I’m not sure if you know, but I did receive a heart transplant two years ago, so I’m vitalized and so grateful to still be here on this earth. I’m still able to do my thing, and like I said, I’m grateful for that blessing. I’m a walking, living, breathing testimony of the power of God, and how the fact that God is still in the miracle business. What God did for me, God can also do for you. So, that’s the message I want to bring to the world. This is one of the reasons why I think I’m still here, but also that my love of hip hop will never die. It will only multiply.
DP: Before we wrap up, are there any other upcoming projects or anything else you would like to mention or plug?
KB: No, but I would love to give a shout out to all the cast and crew. I want to thank Jennifer Weber, Randi Freitas, Eva Price, David Rodriguez, the whole cast and crew who give 100 percent every night, and I just love seeing them with such energy and spirit. It’s inspiring. So, please come out. You will be amazing, and you will be revitalized and feel good inside after seeing this show. Again, it’s something for the whole family to come together in the spirit of that message that love conquers all.
To stay up-to-date and connect with Blow, follow him on Instagram @kurtisblow. For more information and to purchase tickets for The Hip Hop Nutcracker, visit TheCenterCS.com.
Courtesy of The Coral Springs Center for the Arts
