Angela Nicole Parker

I recently saw The Chocolate Nutcracker for the first time last Sunday at the Wilshire Ebell Theater and I have to say that I loved it. The ballet is an urban take on Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky famous holiday classic. I haven't see The Nutcracker in any form since I was a little girl and seeing this fresh take was really enjoyable. I loved seeing so many young men and women come alive while dancing on stage.

Set in the 1950's The Chocolate Nutcracker is the story of Claire who receives the nutcracker as a Christmas gift from her Aunt, played by Keke Shepherd. Claire, her Chocolate Nutcracker and his true love, The Dream Queen, travel through time and space in a music and dance-filled adventure. My favorite pieces were "Brazil," in which they dancers gave us a spirited rendition of Carnival and "Africa", that featured native African drummers and dancers. The ballet was co-narrated by KJLH's Kevin Nash.

For more information about The Original Chocolate Nutcracker visit the Los Angeles Preparatory and Performance Art School at http://chocolatenutcracker.org/.