Kwanzaa

Entertainment in the African-American tradition, including gospel and jazz music, storytelling and a fashion show, as well as a vendor marketplace and food sampling, are some of the activities planned for Old Dominion’s sixth annual Kwanzaa celebration at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6, in Webb Center.

Kwanzaa, established in 1966, emphasizes the seven principles of Africa’s harvest festival. These principles – unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith – are believed to be vital in building and maintaining strong communities.

Old Dominion’s program, “Kwanzaa: Celebrating an African-American Tradition,” will portray these principles through a spiritual and musical program, and encourage communities to recommit themselves to improve family and community life. Entertainment will be provided by the university’s Ebony Impact Gospel Choir and The Good Life, a local jazz and R&B group. There will also be a dance performance, choreographed by Old Dominion’s Melody Ruffin-Ward.

General admission is $5; children ages 8 and under are free. There is no charge for students, faculty or staff. For more information call 683-4406.

Old Dominion University Ballet, directed by Istvan Ament, will present the 26th anniversary production of its critically acclaimed “The Nutcracker” this holiday season.

Performances of the Tchaikovsky classic will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 11 and 12, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, at Chrysler Hall in Norfolk.

Special guest artists dancing the roles of the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier will be Veronica Ivanova and Nikita Shcheglov, principal dancers from the world famous Kirov Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia. Guest artist Attila Bongar will perform the Russian dance. He is graduating from the Hungarian National Ballet School.

Jerry Shannon will conduct the Nutcracker Symphonic Orchestra.

Ticket prices range from $14 to $32, with discounts available for Old Dominion faculty, staff and students, and senior citizens. Tickets may be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets by calling 671-8100 or at the Scope box office, 664-6464. For more information call 683-4486.

Friday through Sunday, Dec. 4-6, the banquets will be held in the atrium of the Diehn Fine and Performing Arts Center.

The music, performed by the Madrigal Singers and Collegium Musicum under the direction of Lee Teply, will include Polish instrumental pieces from the Renaissance and Orthodox sacred works from the 19th century, as well as music by the Moravian composers who took their rich choral tradition to North Carolina in the 18th century.

Arrangements of the folk songs and carols of Russia, Ukraine and the Czech Republic will be sung by the strolling singers during dinner. The main course of chicken Kiev, accompanied by vegetables and salads, will be followed by Russian birch log cake. A glass or carafe of wine may be purchased during the banquet.

Tickets for the meal and entertainment are $23 per person. To purchase tickets by credit card call 683-4444. All sales will conclude Dec. 2.

For more information about the banquets call 683-3446.