2019 NJ Area Holiday Events: The Rockland Youth Dance Ensemble (RYDE) will celebrate 40 years of bringing the beauty of The Nutcracker to nearby Rockland County this holiday season. Performances will be held December 7th through December 14th at Rockland Community College Cultural Arts Theatre, 145 College Avenue in Suffern, New York.
RYDE, a Nanuet based nonprofit organization, will celebrate its 40th anniversary of The Nutcracker with a celebration after the 7:00 pm show on Saturday, December 14th in the atrium outside of the theatre which will include performances by alumni from the past four decades. Many of the alumni from RYDE have gone on to perform on Broadway and across the globe.
RYDE was founded to offer a forum for students and emerging artists, in dance and theatre, to develop their talents in a fully integrated environment of education and performance. RYDE performers are students ages 7 through 18 who have accomplished high quality performance ability through their studies in the performing arts. RYDE offers an opportunity for children from across the region to participate in the Nutcracker and other performances throughout the year. One of the organization’s goals is to provide opportunities for underserved students as well as nurture creativity, expand skills toward creative problem solving, explore multi-cultural environments and generate confidence and high self-esteem. More information can be found here.
At the helm of RYDE is the famed Diane Coupé Frankel, founder of Coupé Theatre Studio based in Nanuet. Coupé has performed on Broadway with some of the world’s greatest talents including Barbara Streisand, Angela Lansbury, and Zero Mostel. Diane founded Coupé Theatre Studio nearly 50 years ago and, along with her staff, has trained thousands of children and adults from around the New York region. Coupé Frankel believes dancers must be versatile to be successful, so her studio offers everything from ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, musical theatre, hip hop, voice and drama.
Nutcracker Performance Schedule
Junior Company
- Saturday, December 7th at 1:00 pm (Narrated) and 4:00 pm
- Sunday, December 8th at 1:00 pm (Narrated)
Senior Company
- Friday, December 13th at 7:00pm (Narrated)
- Saturday, December 14th at 1:00 pm (Narrated) and 4:00 pm
- Saturday, December 14th at 7:00 pm Performance and Gala Reception
- Sunday, December 15th at 1:00 pm (Narrated) and 4:00 pm
To purchase tickets to the Nutcracker, including the special December 14th celebration performance, click here or call 866-967-8167. Discounted tickets for girl scouts and special groups are available. Call
845-623-2808 for more information.
