The People's Sugarplum

Some people don't like ballet. Perhaps that's because the moldy French dance form is usually racist, sexist, gender-restrictive, looksist, anorexia-inducing, and often requires plastic surgery and dangerous drug use. Also, it pays shit wages and then spits you out when you're half grown up and have no training to do anything else, and you die poor and alone. Still, lots of people love ballet, especially The Nutcracker. At the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band's annual Dance-Along Nutcracker, this year subtitled Bah, Humbug! it's as if the fairies have waved a magic wand and taken away all the evil of ballet: The event is fun, relaxed, friendly, and completely democratized. Everyone gets to dance if they want to, no matter what their size, age, or tutu color. Creativity and collaboration are encouraged over slavish imitation and steely-eyed competition. Drag queens lift giggling children high in the air.
Sat., Dec. 13, 2:30 & 7 p.m.; Sun., Dec. 14, 11 a.m. & 3 p.m., 2008