The White House’s annual Christmas video is giving critics a case of “blunder and joy.”
The video posted by first lady Jill Biden, featuring a tap-dancing troupe performing an interpretation of “Nutcracker Suite” through the White House, has been slammed by some on social media as “tacky” or reminiscent of the “Hunger Games.”
The two-and-a-half-minute video shows sequined dancers in colorful costumes and headdresses tapping their way through the main floor of the White House decorated for the holidays. The dancers are part of the tap company Dorrance Dance from New York City.
A bit of magic, wonder, and joy brought to you by the talented tappers of Dorrance Dance, performing their playful interpretation of The Nutcracker Suite.
— Jill Biden (@FLOTUS) December 13, 2023
Enjoy! 💕 pic.twitter.com/qXtCm4t37o
Stephen Miller, an adviser to former President Donald Trump, called the video “a crime against Christmas.”
Others described the show as “Disney presents ’Clockwork Orange’” and “an embarrassment.”
Sarah Fields, president of the Texas Freedom Coalition, called the performance “atrocious” and noted that Dorrance Dance has a website linking visitors to groups such as Black Lives Matter.
“The Biden Administration is intent on driving a wedge between the American people,” she posted on X. “It is quite literally all they can think about. Perhaps if these topics were not the number one priority and distraction for Dorrance Dance, their performance could have been less embarrassing and more artful.”
Jill Biden said the video offers “a bit of magic, wonder, and joy brought to you by the talented tappers of Dorrance Dance, performing their playful interpretation of The Nutcracker Suite.” And some viewers approved, with one poster saying the performance “put a smile on my face.”
Dorrance Dance said its goal is to “engage with audiences on a musical and emotional level, and to share the complex history and powerful legacy of this American art form throughout the country and the world.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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