Hyde Park School of Dance to perform ballet classic 'The Nutcracker' with hip hop twist

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Hyde Park School of Dance brings together fans of ballet, modern, and hip hop with its annual presentation of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker.

Staged by HPSD's founding Artistic Director August Tye, longtime ballet mistress for Lyric Opera of Chicago, the show features more than 175 dancers - primarily children ages seven to 18.

The 90-minute narrated production follows Clara, Fritz, and the mysterious Uncle Drosselmeyer from the family holiday party and a midnight battle between the Nutcracker's toy soldiers and the Mouse Queen's squeaky troops through the Land of Snow to the Kingdom of Sweets.

Unlike other versions of this holiday classic, HPSD includes a break-dance battle to showcase the range of dance genres the school offers while sending a message of peace-instead of battling with swords. Mice and soldiers tap into the power of hip hop to work out their differences through creative self-expression.

Tye, HPSD Director of Community Engagement Allyson Ratliff and HPSD dancer Reygan Johnson stopped by ABC7 to discuss the upcoming performance.

Name of event: The Nutcracker

Date: December 13-15

Hours: Dec. 13 at 7 p.m., Dec. 14 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m., and Dec.15 at 2 p.m.

Address: Mandel Hall, 1131 E. 57th Street, Chicago

Admission/Ticket Prices: $25 for adults, $20 for seniors (65+), $10 for children ages 6-18 and for students with school ID, and free for children 5 and younger. Special $40 reserved tickets are available for audience members of all ages.

To purchase tickets, visit hydeparkdance.org/tickets.