Movement Works Presents Second Annual Holiday Variety Show in South Brunswick County

"A Dancing Christmas" showcases two of the best gifts on earth - music and movement.

Although only in its second year, "A Dancing Christmas" promises to be a Brunswick County holiday tradition.

It's a true holiday variety show featuring nearly 20 vignettes inspired by the passion for dance and music in the name of the season, and showcases tap dance ensembles, hip hop, jazz, and modern dance assortments, yoga sequences, samurai sword performances, Christmas Waltz and Tango pieces, juggling, and singing. And no southern variety show would be complete without a visit from its own spin on the traditional Santa...some crooning from an Elvis look-alike dressed in holiday finery.

The audience can expect to see programs set to classic holiday songs like "Sugar Plum Fairy", "March of the Toys", and the timeless piece from The Peanuts Gang, "Linus and Lucy" by world-famous composer, Vince Guaraldi. In addition, fun and contemporary pieces like James Brown's "Go Power" from his one and only Christmas album, "Funky Christmas", a hip hop remix of "Jingle Bells", and North Carolina's own Squirrel Nut Zippers "Carolina Christmas" round out the evening.

A production of this size, over 50 cast members, is something you might expect to see in a well-seasoned professional show, but Nancy Smith, artistic director and lead choreographer isn't intimidated.  "It's our plan to hold at least two performances each year, one for our winter and spring seasons," she explains.  "Eventually, as we grow, we'd like to offer even more performance opportunities. It's my job as an artist to not only share my craft, but to produce work, and this is how you promote the arts. By making art."  Nancy, a Brunswick County native, is no stranger to considerable dance productions. Her work has been seen at venues in New York City like Fredreck Lowe Theater, Skirball Center for Performing Arts, Aaron Davis Hall, the Tank, and Peridance Capezio Center, to name a few.

"A Dancing Christmas" offers something for every audience member - families, children, and seniors. Performers range in age from 3 to 75, which means everyone will be inspired to keep moving. The ballroom dancers range from 50 to 70. "They move across the stage with such agility and grace," says Nancy. The ladies tap ensemble is composed of dancers ages 25 to 75. Talk about tapping across the generations! For the tweens, teens, and in-betweens, Modern dance performers improvise, bringing their own unique flair to the art.

In harmony with the show's title, "A Dancing Christmas", Nancy hopes to give the gift of music and movement to everyone who attends, and hopes residents of Brunswick County and beyond make the holiday show an annual family tradition.

"Numerous venues roll out their holiday performances from Myrtle Beach to Wilmington. Somehow, Brunswick County, lying in between, is easily overlooked," Nancy says. "We are simply starved for the arts and culture. Beginning here, at this time of the season, we have an opportunity to support and promote an understanding in the arts."

"A Dancing Christmas" will be held at South Brunswick Islands Center, 9400 Ocean Hwy. 17 W. Carolina Shores, on Saturday, December 12 at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for children and are available at the Movement Works studio or at the door on the day of the show. A portion of the proceeds will support Hope Harbor Home, a domestic violence center that provides around-the-clock comprehensive care to women and children in need.  For more information contact Movement Works at 910-579-4845.