NJPAC and The Gateway Project will put on a FREE preview and dance workshop of the NJPAC’s upcoming performance of The Hip Hop Nutcracker on Thursday, December 10 from 12:30pm-1:30pm . Leading the workshop, to be held at The Gateway Project (2 Gateway Center, concourse level), will be dancers Gabriel Alvarez and Sophia Lavonne-Smith.
Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, Gabriel Alvarez has won numerous competitions including Turner Evolution 2015 and So You Think You Can Hustle. He has danced in commercials for the U.S. Open, Canon, Panasonic, Herschel, and MTV, as well as for artists Kurtis Blow, Afrojack, New Politics, Martin Garrix, Borgeous, and Matt Hunter.
Sophia Lavonne-Smith hails from Portland, Oregon. A graduate of NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, Lavonne-Smith received a grant to create and develop the school’s first dance technique program with teachers from Broadway, the underground and commercial scenes. She has choreographed and performed for Nike Industrials, Microsoft, Seventeen Magazine, GE Medical, and MTVU artist Chino Maurice.
The Hip Hop Nutcracker, last season’s holiday sensation that had its sold out, world premiere at NJPAC, returns Sunday, December 19 at 3PM in Prudential Hall. The Hip Hop Nutcracker reimagines Tchaikovsky’s score through explosive choreography by Jennifer Weber and performed by eleven all-star dancers, DJ Boo, a live violinist, with special guest MC, the legendary Kurtis Blow.
Click here to purchase tickets.
