Nutcracker Sweeties by David Bintley, Music by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn After Tchaikovsky

Nutcracker Sweeties reimagines Tchaikovsky's beloved ballet classic through the sophisticated jazz idiom of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. Bintley's choreography transforms the familiar story of Clara's magical Christmas Eve journey into a swinging, syncopated adventure that honors both the original narrative and the improvisational spirit of jazz. The work bridges classical ballet tradition with American jazz vernacular, creating a fresh interpretation where the Nutcracker's transformation and the journey through the Land of Sweets unfolds to the urbane harmonies and rhythmic vitality of Ellington and Strayhorn's compositions. The ballet celebrates the meeting of two great American art forms—classical dance and jazz—while maintaining the wonder and enchantment central to the Nutcracker story.