In 20th anniversary 'NutRemix,' New Ballet alumni see a show at its most 'Memphis' yet
An hour before curtain she was in the wings, watching a small group rehearse the show they'd come back home to perform. This 20th anniversary of New Ballet Ensemble and School's "NutRemix," billed as Memphis' "Nutcracker," brings alumni back to the stage among the new generation of dancers at the school.
"You never forget how to dance," Katie Smythe, creator of the show, told one of the returning students pirouetting in the wings.
During this rehearsal, alumni are convening to dance in person the choreography they've learned over video outside of Memphis as the New Ballet students they each remember as young dancers now play titular roles in "NutRemix," Smythe's inventive twist on the ballet staple that is now settling into its space as a Memphis tradition.
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The New Ballet work includes global dance styles, in a way more authentic than the classical holiday ballet, and places Memphis jookin' squarely among Flamenco and Congolese dance styles. In the same scene, the audience sees break dancers flip as ballet dancers soar.
"We want everyone in those seats to feel that this belongs to them," Smythe said as she watched Memphis high school senior Sunyah Fisher perform along professional breakers Luis Arrieche and Elider Rosales.
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Charles "Lil Buck" Riley, who has placed Memphis jookin' on a global stage, is among the alumni returning to perform, plus Broadway performer Maxx Reed, a founding cast member of the show.
"What was first turning tradition on its head has now become a tradition, and it is a tradition that reflects the city more accurately every year," Reed said.
Reed credits New Ballet's scholarship program with his professional trajectory, and praises the school for actively working to blend Memphis' worlds of Black and white, rich and poor. He's seen the show morph to be more and more like the city it wants to showcase.
Lil Buck glides on stage among younger hip-hop dancers in part of the show, which this year includes the live score performed by Memphis Symphony Orchestra and Big Band, plus recorded music by local artists MULHERIN. Seeing young students look up to him can make him feel old, Lil Buck admits, but it's mostly energizing, reminding him of the excitement in those first times on stage.
"I know for me it was hard to believe that I could do a lot of the stuff that I've done," Lil Buck said. "Being a part of this school helped."
Smythe sees the generosity of the returning alumni, who are, by learning choreography in days and from afar, examples for younger students of their potential futures. While the show may continue to change a bit more, toward dance theater, Smythe said, students are attached to the tradition.
"It's hard to change it now. It's got these moving parts," Smythe said. "And the beautiful thing is our students who have grown up through the show can now teach it to their students."
Laura Testino covers education and children's issues for the Commercial Appeal. Reach her at laura.testino@commercialappeal.com or 901-512-3763. Find her on Twitter: @LDTestino
'NutRemix'
"NutRemix" is at the Cannon Center for performances Nov. 26 and 27. Tickets start at $25 and are available online at Ticketmaster.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: 'NutRemix': Memphis' 'Nutcracker' back with 20th anniversary shows
