Dance companies presenting renditions of Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” ballet have become as synonymous with the Christmas season as decorated trees and Santa Claus.
Audiences who come to see the collaboration between Saint Louis Dance Theatre and Jazz St. Louis next weekend as they present “The Nutcracker Suite” are in store for an added layer of creative expression. The Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn 1960 interpretation of the 1892 classical music masterpiece – a work of genius in its own right – will be set to dance.
“When we first arrived at the decision to collaborate and do this, I was like ‘I’m not telling the story of a rat king and a nutcracker doll, so what is going to be our story,’” said Saint Louis Dance Theatre Artistic Director Kirven Douthit-BoydIn his research, Douthit-Boyd found that “The Nutcracker Suite” was actually the idea of jazz giant Duke Ellington’s longtime collaborator William Strayhorn.
“I literally thought, ‘What would be Billy’s wildest dream?’” said Douthit-Boyd, who choreographed the production. He decided it would be for Strayhorn – who was openly gay at a time when same-sex relationships were deemed a crime in several states – to come into a theater and see a love story between two Black men. “When I first arrived at this idea, I was like, ‘How is this going to go over [with Jazz St. Louis],’” Douthit-Boyd said. “Victor was like, ‘Go for it. I know that about Billy. I know that about people in the world.’” Demetrius Lee dances the role of Strayhorn. “I hope that people see this production and know that love can look however you prefer,” Lee said.
The music of “Nutcracker Suite” comes with creative liberties – which can also be said for Tchaikovsky’s work. The plot for his ballet is an adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ 1844 short story The Nutcracker. Dumas’ story which is a retelling of the 1816 short story “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” by E.T.A. Hoffman. Douthit-Boyd does the same with his telling of Strayhorn’s story.
Though Strayhorn never lived here, the work is set in St. Louis and pays homage to the Gaslight Square District during its heyday as a hub for creativity – particularly jazz. As a body of music “The Nutcracker Suite,” reimagines Tchaikovsky’s composition in jazz form with sprinkles of global music and multi-genre influences.
“The Nutcracker Suite” is a Christmas classic in its own right, one that Jazz St. Louis has performed for many years as a concert. “I really want them to see the power of people coming together – the strength of collaboration,” Goines said of this production. “Not only in music, but as a part of life.”
Creating collaborative experiences that merge jazz with dance is nothing new for Goines or Douthit-Boyd. They worked together for “Such Sweet Thunder,” a collaboration with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Jazz St. Louis and Saint Louis Dance Theatre (then known as The Big Muddy Dance Company) also teamed up for a presentation of the Ellington original “Black, Brown and Beige.”
In his thirty years at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Goines has merged the two art forms with the likes of Twyla Tharpe and the late Judith Jamison – who was a teacher and mentor of Douthit-Boyd. “Having witnessed the power of those collaborations, I know what that power means and what that power needs to be here to bring the communities closer together and closing – if not eliminating – the divide.”
Another moment in the work that gives homage to the cultural contributions of our region in this featuring the presence of Josephine Baker. “Some of you might remember her as ‘Little Freda’ from Mill Creek,” a company member portraying an announcer said during a sneak preview of the performance held Friday at COCA. “Now she is making global change.”
Nyna Moore is charged with the task of bringing Baker to life in “The Nutcracker Suite.” “I did my own research on her beforehand and I was like, ‘these are some big shoes to fill,’” Moore said. “How can I bring myself into this and also bring some of her silliness?”
Moore said that by embodying Baker, she learned the power of making decisions for the sake of an optimal performance – including audience engagement. She also learned a thing or two about authenticity during her journey of bringing Baker to the stage.
“[It was always about] Her being herself – unapologetically who she is – and standing on what she believed in no matter what,” Moore said. “And taking the agency that was not given to her. She also owned her femininity. That is something that was so empowering for me, and I think I will take that with me wherever this journey may lead me.”
While it details a romance that would have been deemed taboo, the story follows the upbeat swing of Ellington and Strayhorn’s “The Nutcracker Suite.”
“This production demonstrates the importance of representation,” Douthit-Boyd said. “There is some young person that is lost who might see this and say, ‘there I am.’ This feels deeply rooted in a purpose. Queer joy is a thing – and we don’t see it enough.
Jazz St. Louis and Saint Louis Dance Theatre will present Ellington and Strayhorn’s “The Nutcracker Suite” December 20-December 21 at the Skip Viragh Center for the Arts, 425 S. Lindbergh, 63131. For more information, visit www.saintlouisdancetheatre.org or jazzstl.org.
Living It content is produced in partnership with Regional Arts Commission.
