Indianapolis, IN
A modern twist on ‘The Nutcracker’ takes stage in Indianapolis
![A modern twist on ‘The Nutcracker’ takes stage in Indianapolis A modern twist on ‘The Nutcracker’ takes stage in Indianapolis](https://www.wishtv.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Nutcracker-Suite-1024x576.png)
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — An Indianapolis performing arts program is gearing up to perform a modern interpretation of a traditional Christmas production.
Normally, “The Nutcracker” is a classic ballet, performed in two acts to the score written by Pyotr Tchaikovsky.
This holiday season, The Performing Arts Conservatory is adding jazz to the mix and telling the story through the perspective of teenagers, dubbed, “The Nutcracker Suite.”
The conservatory is a nonprofit group in Castleton, focused on teaching middle and high school students dance, music, and drama.
Executive Director Bridget Townsend says they work with students from all parts of town, with a variety of different interests.
“Some kids really love what they do, but some of these kids, they’re not sure, and then they get a bug after they start working with it,” Townsend said. “We’re finding that many of the kids that we’ve been working with over the years, they’ve now started to go into their school systems and they’re becoming a part of their school’s performing arts program.”
The group of students working on the production teamed up with local award-winning screenwriter and author Tiffany Wolfork, who took their ideas and helped them create the script.
Townsend said, “In the ballet, we know what happens. There’s a mouse, there’s a queen, there’s a nutcracker. People know these characters. Our kids add a modern twist to who the nutcracker in the story is all about. Wolfork put their words into a script. You’ll see some nuances of Indianapolis, all in the script. They even added a little bit of what they’re hearing and seeing on the news.”
“The Nutcracker Suite” also gives a breath of fresh air to Tchaikovsky’s work by incorporating Jazz music by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn.
Townsend says it ultimately goes back to what the conservatory was founded on: By exposing children to different parts of American culture, they might not have learned about elsewhere.
She said, “We want to be able to infuse a knowledge of the African American culture. We want to give these kids this variation of what happens within that culture. Duke Ellington, come on now. He did it very, very well. This is a Duke Ellington classic.”
The show opens at 1 p.m. Saturday at Castleton United Methodist Church. On Sunday, it takes the stage at Witherspoon Presbyterian Church at 4 p.m.
Tickets are $15 on presale or $20 at the door. Tickets can be purchased here.
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Indianapolis, IN
New Technology Can Change the Way You Hear Live Events
![New Technology Can Change the Way You Hear Live Events New Technology Can Change the Way You Hear Live Events](https://www.wishtv.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/02/SuSt.jpg)
An innovative technology company that enhances sound at live sporting events is looking to grow its operations in Indiana.
Valtteri Salomaki, co-founder and CEO of EDGE Sound Research, says his company is building end-to-end audio infrastructure that allows users to control how they hear live events. The new technology, he says, lets users enjoy real-world experiences through heightened sound.
Salomaki says the technology can be used at concerts, live sporting events, and at home. EDGE Sound Research works with sound from capture to reproduction. Salomaki calls it “a new way to create sound.”
The new technology also allows the user to turn materials, like walls, couches, or seat cushions, into sound by manipulating vibrations. Once the hardware is attached to a material, the user can hear sound coming from it. Salomaki says this will allow event-goers to “feel what the performer feels.”
Salomaki brought his idea to the Rally Innovation Conference pitch competition last year and walked away with a cash prize that allowed him to expand his research and development and create a new partnership with the Indiana Pacers.
Initially, he was just looking to network and share how his product could impact the Indiana economy, but Salomaki says the Rally Innovation Conference was crucial to the growth of his business. Since then, he has been able to create new partnerships and is now focused on building out the commercial arm of his business in Indiana.
Indianapolis, IN
BLQ+ Pride Fest: A celebration of Indy's Black LGBTQ+ community
![BLQ+ Pride Fest: A celebration of Indy's Black LGBTQ+ community BLQ+ Pride Fest: A celebration of Indy's Black LGBTQ+ community](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ed7af7f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/774x406+0+13/resize/1200x630!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fde%2F03%2F97646b2c496f9e2e7b18158ac063%2Fscreenshot-2024-08-03-204819.png)
INDIANAPOLIS — A celebration of Black LGBTQ+ pride was on full display on Monument Circle Saturday.
The BLQ+ Pride fest brought out hundreds of people as an opportunity to celebrate people of color who identify as LGBTQ+.
The celebration had vendors, queer health support organizations and entertainment.
WRTV
According to the Human Rights campaign, over 80 percent of black LGBTQ+ youth say they have experienced homophobia or transphobia in the black community.
Organizers hope the event serves as a reminder to queer people of color that they have a community in the city of Indianapolis.
WRTV
“Black pride is important because black LGBTQ people need safe spaces to feel loved and celebrated in the State of Indiana,” President of Indiana Pride of Color Belinda Drake said.
The Human Rights campaign also says that racism is an issue in the LGBTQ+ community.
Nearly 75 percent of black queer youth say they have experienced racism in the queer community.
Indiana Pride of Color is working to improve the quality of life for Indiana LGBTQ+ BIPOC communities.
Learn more about the Indiana Pride of Color organization, here.
WATCH | Organizations work to ‘break the stigma’ amid Mental Health Awareness Month
Breaking the stigma of mental health during Mental Health Awareness Month
Indianapolis, IN
BLQ+ Pride Summer Fest returns
![BLQ+ Pride Summer Fest returns BLQ+ Pride Summer Fest returns](https://www.wishtv.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/04/BLQ-PRIDE-PKG_frame_1340-e1722731802662.jpg)
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — After a five-year hiatus, the BLQ+ Pride Summer Fest event was held on Monument Circle on Saturday.
The event featured several shopping, entertainment, and eating opportunities.
“They are doing testing, we have food vendors, we have alcohol for the adults, we have folks who are selling merchandise,” said Belinda Drake, president of Indiana Pride of Color. “We have the ice cone shop for the kiddos, too.”
The day is created to honor and celebrate Black, Queer joy in the city and state overall.
One of the vendors who came out to sell items and celebrate alongside the community is Nakeya Harris, the owner of Meraki Mobile Boutique. Her shop carries women’s clothing items, with a specific focus on statement items with bright colors. She also carries jewelry and additional staples.
“I enjoy people expressing themselves and being free, so I wanted to be a part of that,” Harris said.
Local LifeJourney Church was also in attendance at the event. They aim to extend a safe space for worship to anyone interested.
“Today we are trying to reach out to communities of color and just say we have a welcoming space where people can come and be themselves
Though it is the first event of its kind since 2019, the Summer Fest is set to return to Monument Circle next year, and for many years to come.
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