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About Le Casse-Noix Moderne - The Modern Nutcracker In 2008, composer and arranger Mike Gagliardo and choreographer Linze Rickles McRae began talking about collaborating for a performance of "The Nutcracker" with their respective organizations, the Etowah Youth Orchestras and the Downtown Dance Conservatory. Gagliardo and McRae agreed on one thing - that this version of the famous holiday classic should be like no other. At first the talk was of a "rock and roll Nutcracker," in the style of the music of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. However, the project soon morphed into something bigger - a new take on the show that would encompass every form of popular music from the 1920's to the present time. Gagliardo and McRae selected a representative portion of the music from the original work, maintaining the integrity of the original show while creating a production that would be both audience- and performer-friendly. From there, each selection became a different style. "Trepak" turned into a hard-swinging big band number, a la Buddy Rich. "Sugar Plum Fairy" became a soulful ballad straight out of Memphis and Stax Records. The Overture turned into straight-ahead rock and roll. "Mirlitons" tuned into western swing. And just like that, "Le Casse-noix Moderne" was born - a retrospective of modern music and dance, with all of the magic and familiarity of the timeless holiday classic!
The Etowah Youth Orchestras was founded in 1990 to provide the students of Northeast Alabama with major musical and educational experiences through training, development, and performance. The EYO has presented concerts throughout the United States and abroad, including Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln and Kennedy Centers for the Performing Arts, Manston and Stratford-Upon-Avon in England, and San Jose and San Ramon in Costa Rica. The EYO has become nationally recognized for its performances of contemporary music and has been recognized with the receipt of eleven ASCAP Youth Orchestra Awards, and an additional ASCAP Award for American Programming on a Foreign Tour.
The Downtown Dance Conservatory The Conservatory operates under the auspices of the Hardin Center for Cultural Arts, planted in the heart of downtown Gadsden, Alabama. With an enrollment of more than 250 dedicated students training on a weekly basis, the Conservatory's influence also spans throughout the surrounding community with programs such as Community Workshop Series, Downtown Dance Artists Ensemble, "Dancing with a Heart of Giving" annual charity effort, dance history projects, and other various outreach programs and performances. The Conservatory collaborates annually to create original productions with the Etowah Youth Orchestras. Along with its excellent foundations of training, students enrolled are exposed to a variety of techniques and an overall knowledge of dance history. Each year, the studio hosts local and international master teachers for workshops and supplemental classes. As a division of the Gadsden Community School for the Arts, the Conservatory is also able to provide more than $20,000 in need based scholarships to students and participates as a full member of the National Guild for Community Schools for the Arts.
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