Put on by Dance Mojave, the production will begin its three-day run of shows in Joshua Tree on December 6. The Desert Nutcracker is an adaptation of the classic holiday tale written by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, in which a young girl named Clara receives the gift of a nutcracker on Christmas Eve and experiences a fun-filled, magical adventure.
The Desert Nutcracker encompasses various dance styles, including ballet, jazz, modern, contemporary, and gestural movements. Over 60 performers are involved in the show; as Jen Hernandez noted, the cast includes dancers of all ages, backgrounds, and experience levels.
“This is actually my first performance. The party adult scene that I’m in has a combo of classically trained folks and those who were just really excited to be a part of it.”
In addition to playing the beloved Uncle in the performance, Alex Valdivia was also the Head Writer for The Desert Nutcracker. While the show may have the traditional music and story arc, attendees can also expect plenty of elements that embody life in the Mojave, from ill-prepared hikers to park rangers, native fauna and flora, and the iconic sandstorms that desert dwellers know all too well. As Valdivia notes, Dance Mojave’s production infuses the timeless tale with not only these physical components but also the spirit of the Hi-Desert.
“It’s an ode not only to the land and nature, it’s an ode to the culture out here, the way people live, their connection to the land. It’s a really good intro to the desert.”
Founded in the summer of 2024, Dance Mojave is a collective of dancers, creatives, and movement artists of all experience levels based in the Morongo Basin. Executive/Co-Artistic Director Jenn Henry explained that dance is often an expensive pursuit. Dance Mojave aims to offer artistic performance opportunities to community members at no or low cost, taking steps to ensure that anyone interested in participating has the chance to do so.
“We’re trying hard to have costumes sourced from closets. If we have spare ballet shoes from one performer that another performer needs and can use, we’re trying to make those connections, too. We also have a couple of shoe sponsors lined up in case anyone has trouble affording a pair of ballet shoes. We want to ensure that folks are not prevented from participating for cost reasons, which is unique nowadays.”
The group recently filed for nonprofit status as the Dance Mojave Performance Collective, with a mission to continue offering community-wide, open audition performance opportunities to the Morongo Basin. There are also plans to expand with technique classes under an LLC branch of the group. Dance Mojave will begin open-level ballet for adults on December 15, with the potential for more educational opportunities in the future.
Dance Mojave’s production of The Desert Nutcracker will run from December 6 through 8 at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center.
You can purchase tickets here or for more information about getting involved with dance in the hi-desert, visit Dance Mojave’s website.
