PORTLAND — Vivid Motion Inc., Portland’s “innovative and kinda quirky” dance company, will present its 10th holiday production of “Nutcracker Burlesque,” beginning Friday, Dec. 14, at the St. Lawrence Arts Center.

This year, Vivid Motion is reprising audience favorites from past performances with some saucy new twists and choreography.

A frugal IT manager has unwittingly rented out a biker bar for her company’s holiday party. When the timid office workers arrive, they find some rough and rugged bikers who are not in the least bit pleased to be sharing their regular watering hole with a group of outsiders.

Clara, the beloved barback, catches the eye of the Prince of all IT nerds, much to the chagrin of the biker gang’s leader, the Rat King. Drosselmeyer, the bar’s magical bartender, sees the mounting tension and intervenes, following a tense battle between the IT crowd and the bikers.

Drosselmeyer whisks Clara and her potential new beau away on a dreamlike pub crawl through the red light district. Along the way, the audience will be introduced to Spanish ladies of the evening in the streets outside the bar, people in a psychedelic Arabian Go-Go nightclub and in a cowboy bar, and dancers in a Russian bar. There will also be a parade of Mother Ginger’s flash mob and a floor show at a posh nightclub. All the while, the Prince and Rat King vie for Clara’s attentions. 

The NB Ensemble will return with versions of classic songs by Tchaikovsky and other recognizable composers. Performing jazz/rock, under music director Joe Paulus (keyboards), will be guitarist Remy Brecht, drummer Jason Leone and bassist Chad Sclove.

Choreographing this year’s production is “Nutcracker Burlesque” originator Brigitte Paulus, who adds her style and humor to Act I as guests are introduced and the IT crowd and bikers go toe-to-toe.

Vivid Motion’s dancers hail from Casco to Limerick, range from classically trained ballerinas to hip-hop clubbers and vary from students to career professionals.

The hour-and-a-half show for adults only will be performed at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14; Saturday, Dec. 15; Sunday, Dec. 16; Tuesday, Dec. 18; Wednesday, Dec. 19; Thursday, Dec. 20; and Friday, Dec. 21. 

This year, in celebration of its 10th year, Vivid Motion will host an opening night gala at Pearl nightclub, 442 Pearl St. in the Old Port. Tickets for the gala, $25, include admission to the after-party where attendees can meet the dancers. Tickets available exclusively at www.vividmotion.org.

Tickets for all other performances, $15, are available at that website and at The Merchant Company, 656 Congress St. (cash or check only). The St. Lawrence Arts Center is at 76 Congress St.

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