The Other Nutcracker enriches the Christmas classic with the Palestinian reality

The other nutcracker unfolds on stage a universe where the movement speaks of hope, injustice and courage. The performances take place at the Arts Theater of the National Arts Center (Cenart).

The famous Arab dance, which in Tchaikovsky’s classic version appeared without precise reference, takes on in this staging the figure of a fisherman from Gaza, performed through a fusion of contemporary dance and debke, a Palestinian folk dance.

In interview with The Day, Diego Vázquez, director and creator of the work, recalled his months in the West Bank and his participation in the Sumud Global Flotilla to Gaza and noted:

“Integrating a fisherman from Gaza speaks to many things: it reflects the injustice that occurs and that I have seen up close, and these experiences redefined my reading of the Christmas classic.”

Vázquez added that during his stay in Palestine he understood the complexity of the region, where different ethnicities, religions and traditions coexist. “When I thought about The nutcracker I decided that the path through the Arab world was not going to be a generalization, but rather a very specific place that should refer to Palestine.

“I wanted to honor this culture and these people who face situations of great difficulty, such as the impossibility of accessing the sea that their ancestors saw every day.”

Tradition, voguing and hip hop

The montage is based on the story by ETA Hoffmann and the music of Tchaikovsky, but incorporates aerial dance, hip hop, voguing (an urban dance style that combines poses inspired by models with expressive movements and angular body gestures) and debke.

Vázquez believes that this production speaks both to those who grew up with the original story and to new generations, without losing its essence. “Integrating different body languages ​​allows each performer to contribute their experience: listening to the dancers’ bodies and their language is part of the dialogue we build.

“Thus, this proposal is not only enriched, but also brings it closer to those who experience dance for the first time. The aerial and urban resources are combined with Tchaikovsky’s music without altering it, creating a playful and aesthetic counterpoint that broadens the perception of the story. In many characters I see myself.

“Maria reflects my playful and intuitive side; Drosselmeier, my closeness to childhoods and my desire to make them happy. All guests incorporate something from my travels and my learnings.”

The story unfolds in two acts. The first takes place in Drosselmeier’s magical toy store, where Maria discovers the mystery of the Nutcracker, the Fairy and the Knight.

In the second act, in the Winter Queen’s castle, characters from different cultures coexist: the Andalusian maja, a Chinese vogue artist, a Russian poet and the Palestinian fisherman, friends that Drosselmeier met during his trip in search of the magical Kratacuk nut.

Children and young people from dance academies in Mexico City participate in the work, which strengthens the community fabric and offers a professional training experience.

The lighting, set and costume design was the responsibility of Diego Vázquez, director of Laleget Danza, with choreographic assistance from Sarah Matry-Guerre and Argelia Guerrero, and the aerial dance training was taught by Javier Jiménez. The production was carried out by Sarah Matry-Guerre in collaboration with the company.

“Observe the childhoods from Gaza is to recognize those from Mexico, victims of violence, trafficking or disappearance. That viewers take away this awareness and understand that all children deserve to live free and happy is part of the transformation we seek with the work,” concluded Diego Vázquez.

Upcoming features of The other nutcracker at the Cenart Arts Theater they are today and tomorrow. Tickets cost 250 pesos and schedules can be consulted on the website https://bit.ly/4imxQvL.