New Paradigm Dance Theater
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Information:
Julia Wilkinson Manley (Co-Founder & Co-Artistic Director)
info@newparadigmdance.org
www.comovelab.com/nutcracker
720.336.1508
December 2, 2024 - In its inaugural season, New Paradigm Dance Theater (NPDT) and sister
organization Colorado Movement Lab (CML) will premiere their brand-new production of
Nutcracker Reimagined at Parsons Theatre in Northglenn, CO on December 11 & 12, 2024.
Under the artistic direction of Chris Harris and Julia Wilkinson Manley, NPDT is embarking on an
incredible new adventure - a BRAND-NEW production of The Nutcracker unlike anything anyone
has seen before. In this professionally-produced rendition of a beloved classic, expect all new
characters based on Colorado flora and fauna, all to a reimagined use of the familiar Tchaikovsky
score. The performance will take place at the gorgeous Parsons Theatre in Northglenn.
In this tale, Alice - an Abert Squirrel - sets off in the morning to gather acorns, mushrooms, and
flowers. She flits amongst Geraniums, Columbines, Asters, and big (very cute) bees. She is
enchanted by a Swallowtail Butterfly, Hummingbirds, and several varieties of Mushrooms. Later,
Alice and her family host a Harvest Gathering, inviting their friends the Fox Squirrels. While
gathering their foraged Acorns, Mushrooms, and Flower Buds, Alice reveals a special treat - a
pine cone bedecked with glorious pine nuts! Unbeknownst to the squirrels, however, some
Clark’s Nutcracker Jays have been watching the festivities, intrigued by the glimmer of the pine
nuts. They fly in to taunt the squirrels and steal the pine cone. But then! A Great Horned Owl
appears, turning the whole affair into a chaotic scurry, during which little Alice gets bonked on
the head. In her stupor, she dreams of many of her fellow forest inhabitants - Little Brown Bats,
Lark Buntings, Black-Footed Ferrets, Kit Foxes, and Boreal Toads who dance for her. As she
awakens, she discovers the snow is falling, and it is time for hibernation.
The new production boasts over 550 new costume elements, each depicting creatures of the
Colorado forests, with scenic design created by Denver School of the Arts student Aaron Lemig.
Co-Artistic Director Julia Wilkinson Manley has served dancers in the North Metro area for 22
years as the former Artistic Director of the School of Ballet Nouveau Colorado and Colorado
Conservatory of Dance since 2003. She was honored in October 2023 as a Legend of Dance by
the Dance Archive at The University of Denver. Wilkinson Manley says, “It’s time for this beloved
holiday tradition to have a complete overhaul. This incredible score is capable of telling great
stories, but I had no idea... that is until I tried to break away from what I’d known it to be for
over four decades!’”
About the process of rethinking this ballet from scratch, Co-Artistic Director Chris Harris says
“I’ve never been a fan of the traditional Nutcracker, due primarily to its long-standing cultural
insensitivity, but this production is inspiring and uses actual ecology to tell a beautiful and real
story.” Chris is the founder and former Artistic Director of Louder Than Words Dancetheater,
which ran for 13 years in Denver, Colorado.
In addition to rethinking an old classic, the directors have brought together dancers of all stages
in life. The cast includes 3-year-olds to adult dancers, pre-professional dancers who train 20
hours per week to after-school ballet students from nearby Doral Academy. The cast also
features NPDT’s EMPOWER dance company - a dance company comprised of teens and adults
with special needs.
About the Artistic Directors:
Chris Harris has been a choreographer, artistic director, visual artist, dancer, pedagogue, and teacher working along
the Front Range for over three decades. Previously, she was artist in residence for the Denver School of the Arts for
17 years, Co-Director of the Boulder Jazz Dance Workshop, and Assistant Artistic Director of Interweave Dance
Theatre. In 2005, she founded and became Artistic Director/Choreographer for Louder Than Words Dancetheatre
and the Colorado Youth Dance Theater. Both projects performed in Denver until 2018. Chris holds a BFA in Dance
and Choreography from the University of Colorado, Boulder and an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts from Goddard
College where she focused on dance integration, notation, and communication.
After her career as a professional dancer with Ballet Ireland, David Taylor Dance Theater, and Ballet Nouveau
Colorado, Julia Wilkinson Manley became the School Director for Broomfield-based Ballet Nouveau Colorado from
2003-2013. In 2013 she founded a new non-profit organization, Colorado Conservatory of Dance (CCD), becoming
CEO and Artistic Director. As a leader of CCD for 10 years, she developed community education programming for
over 60,000 individuals, a nationally-respected syllabus for dance training, and produced and choreographed over
25 ballets. Julia was honored in October 2023 as a Legend of Dance by the Dance Archive at the University of
Denver.
AT A GLANCE
NEW PARADIGM DANCE THEATER
www.newparadigmdance.org
720-336-1508 (Colorado Movement Lab)
Performances of Nutcracker Reimagined:
When: Wednesday, December 11 and Thursday, December 12, 2024 at 6:30pm
Where: Parsons Theatre, 1 E Mem Pkwy Entrance, Northglenn, CO 80233
Tickets: Standard - $30
Student/Senior - $25
To buy tickets: comovelab.com/nutcracker
Sensory-Friendly Performance:
When: Saturday, December 14, 2024 at 6:30pm
Where: Doral Academy of Colorado, 10110 Church Ranch Way, Westminster, CO 80021
What: A performance hosted by Doral Academy specifically meant to serve the families of a person with special needs.
Tickets: $3 for each family member and FREE for VIPs (loved one with special needs)
To buy tickets: 720-336-1508
For exclusive photo and interview opportunities with the Artistic Directors or students, or to
find out more, email or call Julia Wilkinson Manley at info@newparadigmdance.org or
720-336-1508.
ABOUT NPDT:
New Paradigm Dance Theater (NPDT) develops creative artists and thinkers of the future by creating an artistic
environment where dancers and choreographers can be vulnerable, question and break assumptions, and focus on
creating their own pathway to artistry.
ABOUT CML:
At Colorado Movement Lab (CML), dance merges with body science, art, and the potentiality of movement. With
superb training in multiple dance forms, extensive kinesthetic expertise, a devotion to individualized attention, and
a spirit of invention, we create an environment where innovation and tradition harmoniously coexist.
At present, we are by appointment only. Call or Email to book a time.
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