Visionary dancer, director, and cultural force Princess Lockerooo—with a background in musical theater and a champion of waacking, a queer dance form nearly lost during the AIDS crisis—reimagines a holiday classic with a fierce new vision. The NutWAACKer brings the elegance of Tchaikovsky’s classical score into a glittering fusion with the raw energy of New York City’s underground dance culture. The result is a tribute to queer brilliance, street culture, and the city’s electrifying legacies of movement. Bringing together waacking, vogue, hip-hop, house, and more, this high-impact performance is a kinetic journey through identity, defiance, and holiday magic—told through the eyes of a nonbinary youth navigating tradition, resistance, and chosen family in the heart of Central Park.

Photo: Princess Lockerooo and The Fabulous Waack Dancers, Works & Process Underground Uptown Dance Festival, Lincoln Center, January 12, 2024. Photo: Lawrence Sumulong