CRACKING GOOD
Where to watch ‘The Nutcracker’ this season
COURIER L 50 IFE, DEC. 6-12, 2019
New gallery: The Brooklyn Academy of Music celebrates its new gallery with
a show about nature and renewal. Photo by Trey Pentecost
Gone to Pot
Fort Greene art exhibit
looks at democracy
By Rose Adams Talk about dirty politics!
A new art exhibit
uses five hot tubsworth
of soil to reflect on
democracy, renewal, and the
natural world. “When A Pot
Finds Its Purpose,” a two-part
exhibition now on display at the
Brooklyn Academy of Music’s
first visual arts space, features
two enormous metal pots
modeled on the Liberty Bell,
with dirt heaped around them,
to represent the state of national
politics, according to its creator.
“It struck me that some of
the systems in our democracy
need to be repotted,” said Glenn
Kaino, whose work will be on
display until Dec. 15. “That was
the inspiration to create these
vessels.”
The “Spill” part of
the exhibit, at the Rudin
Family Gallery in the BAM
Strong building, uses a new,
environmentally-friendly type
of soil that uses compost for
the five-and-a-half cubic yards
of dirt surrounding the giant
pots — which Taino considers
a symbol of hope and renewal.
“They call it a regenerative
soil, it’s a soil that has been
created using composting in a
new and reusable way without
chemicals,” he said. “It’s time to
rethink the tools we use that are
frankly out of date.”
Kaino was inspired to create
the piece when he heard pastor
and author Bishop T.D. Jakes
speak about the figurative
importance of pots.
“He was talking a lot about
the metaphor of potting and
this notion of how plants need
to be repotted to be healthy
and grow,” Kaino said. “He
was talking about creativity
and wisdom and the need to
expand intellectual spaces.”
The other half of the
exhibit is a literally moving
installation depicting tiny
waves flowing back and forth.
“Blue” includes 22 small wave
machines — miniature clear
plexiglass boxes filled with
blue water that tilt from side
to side, creating small wave
formations. The movement
of the boxes appears to be
synchronized, but they are
actually moving at slightly
different speeds and have
slightly different shapes,
which creates a mesmerizing,
meditative effect.
Kaino said that both
installations evoke the natural
world, and inspire viewers to
think about the collective — a
theme present in much of his
artistic practice.
“They’re both different
types of meditations about
ideas that are bigger than an
individual,” Kaino noted. “The
practice aspires to ask big
questions about the nature of
our humanity.”
“When A Pot Finds Its
Purpose” at the Brooklyn
Academy of Music’s Rudin
Family Gallery 651 Fulton St.
between Ashland and Rockwell
places in Fort Greene, (718) 636
- 4100, www.bam.org. Open
Wed - Sun, noon - 6 pm, and one
hour prior to every performance
in the Harvey Theater, through
Dec. 15. Free.
By Ben Verde Try the mixed nuts!
Brooklynites who want
to catch beloved holiday
classic “The Nutcracker” have
plenty of options right here in the
borough. Seven spots in Kings
County will feature local takes
on the sugarplum fairies, mice
soldiers, and big-jawed dolls of
Tchaikovsky’s ballet.
Bawdy ballet
A Bushwick burlesque company
will present “Nutcracker Rouge,” a
provocative take on the classic ballet
that features trapeze artists, close-up
magic, and opera singers. The show
runs through through January, so
you have plenty of time to catch it!
Nutcracker Rouge” at Theatre
XIV 383 Troutman St. between
Irving and Wyckoff avenues in
Bushwick, www.companyxiv.com,
(866) 811–4111. Running through
Jan. 26 at various times. $50–$195.
Party People
More than 70 kids from across
the borough will join professional
members of the Moscow Ballet
during two performances of “The
Great Russian Nutcracker” at Kings
Theatre. The youngsters, who have
all received at least one year of
training at ballet schools in Kings
County, will take on the roles of
party guests, mice, snowflakes,
and other minor figures,
dancing alongside Russian ballet
heavyweights.
At Kings Theatre 1027 Flatbush
Ave between Tilden Road and
Duryea Place in Flatbush, (718)
282–804, www.kingstheatre.com.
Dec. 7 at 2 pm and 7 pm. $30–$60.
Local Nuts!
The next weekend, you can
return to the Kings Theatre for
“The Brooklyn Nutcracker,” a
Lords a-leaping: Brooklyn kids will join the Moscow Ballet at Kings Theatre for its performance
of “The Great Russian Nutcracker” on Dec. 7. Moscow Ballet
“radically inclusive” version of the
holiday classic from the Brooklyn
Ballet. You can expect angels
floating across subway platforms,
hip-hop dancers, and Middle
Eastern belly dancers performing
against a backdrop of iconic Kings
County landmarks.
At Kings Theatre see above.
Dec. 14 at 2 pm and 7 pm. $30–$115.
Magically hip
For a truly fresh
reinterpretation of Tchaikovsky’s
score, visit the Kings Theatre
one more time for “The Hip
Hop Nutcracker,” narrated by
Kurtis Blow. This version of the
128-year-old ballet swaps out
ballerinas for break–dancers, and
switches an orchestra for a DJ
and a single violinist.
At the Kings Theatre see
above. Dec. 15 at 2 pm and 6:30
pm. $30–$80.
In the action!
You can literally join the
party at a radically reimagined
version of “The Nutcracker,” at
East Midwood Jewish Center.
The immersive production from
Alden Moves Dance Theatre
breaks down the fourth wall,
allowing audience members
to participate in key moments
and interact with the cast,
which includes both kids and
professional dancers.
At East Midwood Jewish Center
1625 Ocean Ave. between avenues
K and L in Midwood, (347) 365–
6713, www.aldenmovesbk.com/
nutcracker. Dec. 15 at noon and
5 pm. $30.
Suite sounds
For just a taste of the iconic
ballet, head to the Brooklyn
Symphony Orchestra’s Holiday
Concert, which will feature
a performance of the ballet’s
“Nutcracker Suite.” Brooklyn’s
own orchestra will play both the
original Tchaikovsky version
and Duke Ellington’s jazzy
interpretation.
At the Brooklyn Museum
200 Eastern Parkway at
Washington Avenue, Prospect
Heights, (718) 638–5000, www.
brooklynsymphonyorchestra.org.
Dec. 15 at 2 pm. $20.
Short and suite
Kids can enjoy a shortened
version of the Nutcracker
designed for short attention spans,
when youngsters from the Cobble
Hill Ballet perform “Excerpts
from The Nutcracker.” The
performance will feature the most
iconic scenes from the holiday
classic, including the Sugar Plum
Fairy, the Waltz of Flowers, and
Russian Dolls — all condensed
into a kid-friendly one hour run
time.
At the Kimble Theater 1
University Plaza at Flatbush
Avenue, Downtown, (718) 488–
1624, www.kimbletheater.org.
Dec. 15 at noon, 3 pm, and 5 pm.
$23.
No two alike: The Brooklyn Ballet puts a colorful, modern spin on the snowflake
dance in “The Brooklyn Nutcracker,” at Kings Theatre on Dec. 14. Brooklyn Ballet
/www.kimbletheater.org
/www.companyxiv.com
/www.kingstheatre.com
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/www.brooklynsymphonyorchestra.org
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/www.bam.org
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/www.companyxiv.com
/www.kingstheatre.com
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