This holiday season, the Brooklyn Ballet is bringing "The Brooklyn Nutcracker" home with a dazzling twist that weaves the borough's culture and traditions into the beloved classic.

Inside the company's rehearsal studio, the familiar chords of Tchaikovsky ring out as dancers glide across the floor. Among them is Tristan Grannum, the ballet's Director of Community Outreach.

"I adore classical ballet, but classical ballet is not the only style that there is in the world," Grannum said. "So yes, there are 'The Nutcracker' productions that are mainly based around classical ballet. But why not see something that has evolved the art form?"

Grannum's path to the stage began in a public school in Bushwick, where a childhood field trip ignited his passion for dance.

"That was like the moment where I was like, 'I can do this on stage? I can dance for people? I can get paid to do this?'" he said. "So that was kind of like the eye-opening experience."

This year, Grannum reprises his role as the Snow King, performing alongside Miku Kawamura, a dancer he has admired for nearly a decade.

"No where else can have this, only Brooklyn," Kawamura said of the rich culture that inspires the modern take on "The Nutcracker."

Touted as the city's most diverse "Nutcracker," the production features cultural influences spanning Native American hoop dance, Middle Eastern belly dance, and Brooklyn-inspired street styles.

"We use that beautiful music, but we also make some space in it for the flamenco castanets, for an accordion, for the Ukrainian Hopak," said artistic director and founder Lynn Parkerson.

Under Parkerson's direction, the Brooklyn Ballet has created what she calls a bridge between tradition and innovation.

"This 'Brooklyn Nutcracker' is a new way to do something while keeping the tradition of ballet beautifully presented and alive and welcoming others into that world," she said.

Grannum's story has come full circle, from a young boy inspired by dancers onstage to a performer dedicated to inspiring the next generation. Through the company's Elevate outreach program, he works with students who may not otherwise have access to ballet.

"I am trying to give back to the students that never necessarily had access for arts education, because at the end of the day, we want to see ballet become more diverse," Grannum said.

The program offers classroom instruction, subsidized performance tickets and scholarships aimed at expanding opportunities for young dancers.

"Public school outreach programs changed my life. That's why I'm doing what I'm doing," Parkerson said. "It's just a bit of exposure to a real dancer and and just falling in love with the form."

"The Brooklyn Nutcracker" runs at the Theater at City Tech from Dec. 6–14, offering audiences a holiday performance infused with the rich tapestry of Brooklyn.

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