Forces of Nature at NJPAC. Photo Courtesy of NJPAC

(NEWARK, NJ) -- New Jersey Performing Arts Center presents a plethora of dance performances as part of the m&t bank dance series. The series includes performances by Malevo, the Hip Hop Nutcracker, State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine, and Forces of Nature.

Friday, October 25, 2024 at 7:30pm - MALEVO (NJPAC debut). The thrilling dance sensation Malevo is an all-male Argentinian dancing-and-drumming troupe created by the choreographer/dancer Matias Jaime. Hailed for its lightning-fast footwork, high-energy athleticism and exhilarating rhythms, Malevo is a fiery combination of Malambo (the traditional folk dance of Argentine Gauchos), dramatic flamenco and synchronized percussion. Malevo burst on to the scene with their thrilling performances on America’s Got Talent in 2015. After being named an official “Cultural Ambassador to the National Identity of Argentina,” and on the tail of numerous successes including events and performances in Las Vegas, New York, Dubai, Paris, Cairo, St Petersburg and Montreal as well as special performances with Latin pop-star Ricky Martin, Cirque du Soleil, a year-long residency at Universal Studios Japan, Malevo have earned worldwide recognition and a dedicated legion of fans with multiple sold-out tours. Tickets: $59. Location: NJPAC’s Victoria Theater.

Sunday, December 8, 2024 at 2:00pm & 7:00pm - Hip Hop Nutcracker. A highlight of the holiday season, The Hip Hop Nutcracker, Tchaikovsky’s 130-year-old ballet reimagined as a holiday dance spectacle, returns to NJPAC where it was created. The Hip Hop Nutcracker has been performed more than 250 times in 70 cities and the secret to its success is the powerhouse cast of a dozen all-star dancers, an on-stage DJ and an electric violinist who turn the beloved Nutcracker score on its head. The re-mixed and re-imagined version of the classic story smashes hip hop dance and Tchaikovsky’s timeless music together for a heart-stirring and inspirational holiday event that takes audiences on a journey celebrating love, community and the magic of the holiday season. This urban dance retelling of the timeless fairy tale boasts rap legend Kurtis Blow. The first rapper to be signed by a major label in 1979, Blow is considered one of hip hop’s founding fathers and will perform as the MC of The Hip Hop Nutcracker. “It turns The Nutcracker on its head, in the coolest possible way!” – CBS

Sunday, December 15, 2024 at 2:00pm - State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine performs The Nutcracker. In what has become an annual NJPAC tradition, the State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine returns with the beloved holiday favorite The Nutcracker. Set to Tchaikovsky's classic score and featuring brand new choreography and productions by Andrey Litvinov, the State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine premiered this revised version of The Nutcracker in Dnipro, Ukraine, in 2020. Choreography and design lasted for many months with the pandemic constantly disrupting the process. Fortunately, this new interpretation of a timeless classic still managed to be completed. The company is recognized as one of the most prestigious institutions of classical ballet in Ukraine. With no fewer than 55 of Ukraine's finest performers, this esteemed ensemble has performed to the delight of audiences worldwide. Tickets: $39-$89. Location: NJPAC’s Prudential Hall.

Sunday, December 22, 2024 at 3:00pm - Forces of Nature celebrates Kwanzaa. The Harlem-based Forces of Nature Dance Theatre returns to NJPAC for a festive Kwanzaa celebration that combines traditional West African and neo-African dance, hip hop, ballet, contemporary modern dance and martial arts. It’s a powerful homage to the ancestors—an invitation to connect—and a vibrant way to honor the holiday with the entire family. Utilizing a unique blend of performing arts, including modern dance, traditional West African dance, live and recorded music, and the martial arts, Forces of Nature specializes in choreo-dramatic theater, earning the praise of critics and audiences wherever they perform. Forces of Nature’s cultural matrix is centered in an African and an American intelligence that is global and environmental. Its aesthetic has been critically acclaimed as visceral, thought provoking and creatively brilliant. Executive Artistic Director/Choreographer Abdel R. Salaam and Executive Managing Director Olabamidele Husbands co-founded the company in 1981. Salaam’s choreography has been described as “a collage of ballet, modern, and African movements, performed with exacting beauty (Dance Magazine).”

In recent years Forces of Nature received the Kwanzaa 50th Anniversary Award in Excellence from the Apollo Theater, The Kuumba Award from the New York Kwanzaa Holiday Foundation, The 41st Annual Dance Company of the Year Audelco Recognition for Excellence in Black Theater, and the 2017 Outstanding Production Bessie Award for the “Healing Sevens”. Tickets: $49-$59. Location: NJPAC’s Victoria Theater.

“Abdel R. Salaam’s choreography is unusual, transcendent, ecstatic! It’s imaginative fused ideas… Visualized against an amalgam of rhythms… Was the spirit of positive energy… Truly a welcome gift!” – Attitude: The Dancers’ Magazine

The m&t bank series lets you experience breathtaking dance from around the world and our own backyard. Click here for more information on the series or to purchase tickets. New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) is located at 1 Center Street in Newark, New Jersey. 

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New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in downtown Newark, New Jersey, is among the largest performing arts centers in the United States.  It is the artistic, cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey — where great performances and events enhance and transform lives every day.  As New Jersey’s anchor cultural institution, NJPAC brings diverse communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the State’s and the world’s best artists, while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city.  Through its extensive Arts Education programs, NJPAC is shaping the next generation of artists and arts enthusiasts.  NJPAC has attracted more than 11 million visitors (including more than two million children) since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents.