New York City’s The Bang Group brings its signature holiday fare, NUT/CRACKED, to The Dance Hall in Kittery for two shows on Friday, December 9th at 7:30pm and Saturday, December 10th at 2pm. It’s The Nutcracker, but definitely not as we know it! The Bang Group has taken every little girls favorite Christmas show and torn it limb from limb. Mixing Tchaikovsky's original score with music by Duke Ellington, Glen Miller and others, the company turns the sugar coated ballet into a percussive piece of dance theatre. Expect tap dancing, singing and some unusual pointe shoe activity. Nothing is sacred as Nutcracked twists and melds various dance traditions into an ode to American eclecticism which honors the power of the human urge to dance while riding Tchaikovsky's voluptuous waves of rhythm.

The Bang Group's mission, based on choreographer David Parker's vision of diverse dance forms united by a common purpose, is to facillitate the creation and performance of Parker's work and to promote, mentor and present the work of artists who embody this vision. Standards of craftsmanship, creative liberty and aesthetic diversity are present in the rehearsal and mentoring process, in the curation of the company's performances and those presented by The Bang Group at venues throughout the U.S. and Europe.

The Bang Group has enjoyed significant domestic touring including engagements and/or commissions from Philadelphia Dance Affiliates, University of Maryland at College Park, Sushi in San Diego, Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Wortham Center in Houston, Northwestern University in Evanston, American Dance Festival, The Yard on Marthas Vineyard, Portland, Maine Performing Arts, Actors Theater of Louisville, Jacobs Pillow Inside/Out, Fire Island Dance Festival, Provincetown Playhouse and several others. The Bang Group has appeared in 23 of the United States. In addition, the company has appeared regularly in Montreal at Studio 303, Tangente, CINARS Festival and Divers Cite.

European touring highlights include The Holland Dance Festival, Tanzsprache Vienna, Dance Week Zagreb, Belluard Bollwerk Switzerland, Invito Alla Danza in Rome, Charleroi Danses Biennale in Belgium, Fondation Cartier in Paris, Konfrontace in Prague, Divdelna Nitra in Slovakia, Folkswang in Essen, Germany, Monaco Danse Forum, OT 301 in Amsterdam, Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

“Nut/Cracked” is not onlyimmensely entertaining but also intensely musical and witty, melding tap, disco, ballet and contemporary dance over 22 scenes that combine fantasy and silliness to marvelous effect."  -  Roslyn Sulcas, in the New York Times

Tickets are $20 Senior/Child in advance and  $25 at the door, and $25 Adult advance, and $30 at the door and can be purchased at TheDanceHallKittery.org and Brownpapertickets.com.