Top of the Stairs Presents Nutcracker All Jazz'd Up Recital

Top of the Stairs Dance Studio brings its seasonal recital to the University of Jamestown community today with a lively reinterpretation of the Nutcracker titled The Nutcracker All Jazz'd Up. The performance begins at 3 p.m. in the DeNault Auditorium inside the Reiland Fine Arts Center and showcases roughly 80 students ranging from preschool age to adult under the direction of instructor Jackie Sather.

Students have been rehearsing since October, preparing music, choreography and staging for the single afternoon performance. The show represents the studio's main end of year presentation and serves as a capstone to months of instruction in jazz technique and ensemble work. Admission is priced to encourage family attendance, at $10 for adults, $5 for students and free for preschool age children.

For local residents the recital functions as both a cultural event and a community touchpoint. Youth arts programming of this scale provides performance opportunities for a broad age span and supports ongoing arts education in Jamestown. Families and friends attending the recital will help sustain the studio through ticket purchases and by raising the visibility of performing arts offerings in Stutsman County. Local businesses near the university may see modest spillover from audience traffic on an early Sunday afternoon.

The choice of a jazz influenced Nutcracker reflects a trend among community studios to adapt classical works into contemporary forms that resonate with local audiences and student interests. Staging the recital at a university venue also highlights a productive partnership between private music and dance instructors and institutional arts facilities, which can expand audience capacity and technical resources for community shows.

As the holiday season concentrates performances, this recital provides an accessible option for families seeking locally produced live entertainment. The studio and university venue together offer an opportunity to experience intergenerational participation in the arts, reinforce music and dance training for young people, and contribute to the cultural calendar of Jamestown and Stutsman County.