Armour Dance Theatre, New World School of the Arts Present the Nutcracker Ballet
Diversity and Inclusivity Made a Priority for Performers and Patrons
MIAMI – From November 30 through December 3 the Armour Dance Theatre (ADT) and New World School of the Arts (NWSA) will captivate local audiences once again with the 46th annual production of the iconic Nutcracker Ballet at the Miami-Dade County Auditorium.
“For years the talented performers of the Armour Dance Theatre and New World School of the Arts have brought the magic of the season to patrons of the arts. But what is truly magical is the fact that this production is the only of its kind in that it reflects the diversity of Miami-Dade County regarding gender, race, ethnicity, and body type,” said Dennis Edwards, Treasuer, ADT Board of directors. “In partnership with NWSA, ADT is committed to increasing diversity and equity in the arts by addressing and removing barriers for underrepresented communities for performers and patrons alike.”
This year, the ADT and NWSA will host more than 7,000 public schoolchildren with three field trip performances between November 30 and December 2 at the Miami-Dade County Auditorium. The performances for students are one of the region’s few sensory friendly Nutcrackers. “Special accommodations are available at all of these performances for children with sensory processing and autism spectrum disorders,” Camila Gil, Executive Director explained. The final performance for the general public will take place on December 3.
Dancers in the production come from ADT’s South Miami Academy, ADT’s four community Program Sites, New World School of the Arts, a nationally recognized public magnet high school. Students begin preparing for the Nutcracker in August, rehearsing weekly and learning what it is like to be in a large-scale, full-length ballet production.
The cast of nearly 200 includes world-class guest stars Sirui Liu and Zecheng Liang.
Liu was born in Shanghai, China, where she began her dance training with the Shanghai Dance School and continued her studies at the Shanghai Dance College of Shanghai Theater Academy. In 2011, Liu began her professional career in the United States with the Cincinnati Ballet, where she is now a Principal Dancer.
Liang began his ballet training at the Guangzhou Art School, before moving to the United States and continuing his instruction with the Houston Ballet. He is a Principal Dancer at the Philadelphia Ballet.
“It is an honor and a privilege to be able to create this experience, not only for the hundreds of children that have found their place in a traditionally exclusive ballet community, but for the thousands of audience members who can receive the accommodations they need to enjoy the production,” said Ruth Wiesen, Artistic Director.
