Last winter, Michelle Dorrance and her company tap-danced to “The Nutcracker Suite” in the White House. In a Christmas video first lady Jill Biden posted on X last year, tap dancers dressed as flowers, toy soldiers and a mouse boogie to “Danse of the Floreadores” — a jazz reinterpretation of “Waltz of the Flowers” — as they glide through the building’s decorated corridors.

“It is so funky. It is so swinging. It is so fresh,” Dorrance, founder and artistic director of New York City company Dorrance Dance, told the Chronicle.

The group is bringing the performance to the Bay Area for the first time this holiday season.

Dorrance Dance’s 70-minute “The Nutcracker Suite,” choreographed to jazz legends Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s 1960 reinterpretation of the classic Tchaikovsky ballet score, will take the stage at Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall on Dec. 14 and 15. 

Dorrance, a 2015 MacArthur fellow, worked with dancers Josette Wiggan and Hannah Heller to create a quintessentially American reinterpretation of “Nutcracker” — which is a European tradition — using vernacular jazz and tap dance.

The reimagining preserves some of the original’s whimsical, fairy tale-like elements but also adds originality. Clara’s parents become the Sugar Rum Cherry and the Cavalier as she enters the Land of Sweets. The character of the Sugar Rum Cherry, embodied by a flashy sequin-decked Wiggan, was inspired by Ellington and Strayhorn’s earthy tune “Dance of the Sugar Rum Cherry” — a play on Tchaikovsky’s iconic “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.” In the “Waltz of the Snowflakes,” which is performed unaccompanied, dancers invoke a vaudeville tradition when they make a percussive sound by tap-dancing on sand. 

Dorrance Dance’s version also seeks to pay homage to the roots of jazz and tap dance in the Black community and incorporates themes relevant to current events. Clara is an outcast daughter from a Black family. The trepak, one of the most well-known folk dances in Tchaikovsky’s ballet, is performed with a special emphasis on the Ukrainian elements of the dance. Dorrance and her co-creators wanted to champion Ukrainian culture after Russia invaded the country in 2022.

“It was really important for us to tell this story so that marginalized people and people of color could see themselves in this story,” Dorrance said.

Dorrance looks forward to bringing the performance to California, where it will first make stops in Northridge (Los Angeles County) and Santa Barbara. She hopes the two performances at Berkeley, the first being an evening show and the second a matinee, can entertain adults looking for a fun night out and families alike.

“We are moving through the narrative with a pace that, I mean, I feel like if you blink, you are going to miss something,” she said.

More dance performances 

This holiday season, Bay Area families that hope to watch a more classic “Nutcracker” performance or seek a break from Clara’s journey in the Land of Sweets can check out the plethora of other dance performances, from decadeslong traditions of Christmas ballets to a winter solstice celebration.

San Francisco Ballet’s ‘Nutcracker’

The first American company to present a full-length production of “Nutcracker,” the San Francisco Ballet is back with its annual tradition. 

This year’s performance marks the 20th anniversary of longtime Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson’s choreography, which sets the classic story in 20th century San Francisco. Against the backdrop of familiar city landmarks, Clara and the prince are expected to dazzle audience members with virtuosity and touch many with their love story.

Dec. 6-29. $30-$565. War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Ave., S.F. 415-865-2000. www.sfballet.org

Peninsula Ballet Theatre’s ‘Hip-Hop Nutcracker’ and ‘Nutcracker Sweet’

In Peninsula Ballet Theatre’s “Hip-Hop Nutcracker,” Clara falls asleep, and her dream takes her to a magic land where hip-hop dancing characters take her by surprise. Choreographed by Issac “Stuck” Sanders, artistic director of Peninsula Hip-Hop Productions, 35 hip-hop artists strut passionately to Tchaikovsky’s orchestral score.

The company is also set to present a classic “Nutcracker” and “Nutcracker Sweet,” an abridged family-friendly version.

“Nutcracker Sweet”: 12:30, 2:30 and 4:30 p.m. Dec. 7 and Dec. 8. $30-$40. Peninsula Lively Arts, 1880 S. Grant St., San Mateo • “Hip-Hop Nutcracker”:2 p.m. Dec. 21 and 22. $35-$70. Fox Theatre, 2215 Broadway, Redwood City • “Nutcracker”: 2 p.m. Dec. 21 and 22. $35-$70. San Mateo Performing Arts Center, 600 N. Delaware St., San Mateo. 650-342-3262. www.peninsulalivelyarts.org

Smuin Contemporary Ballet’s ‘The Christmas Ballet’

Michael Smuin’s “The Christmas Ballet” may be just what you need if you seek to get into the holiday spirit without revisiting the Stahlbaum family story. The first act is performed as a classical Christmas ballet, with performers decked in snow-white and dancing on pointe. The second “Cool Yule” act sees dancers dressed in red and performing energetic tap and jazz.

This year’s “The Christmas Ballet” also features an LGBTQ+ night and after-party, hosted by Lady Camden, first runner-up on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 14.

“The Christmas Ballet”: Nov. 23-24. $30-$110. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek • Dec. 5-8. $31-$117. Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View • Dec. 13-24. $25-$119. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission St., S.F. • LGBTQ+ Night with special guest Lady Camden: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 20. $25-$99. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission St., S.F. 415-912-1899. www.smuinballet.org

ODC/Dance’s ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’

A Christmas tradition for the past 37 years, ODC’s “The Velveteen Rabbit” is another “Nutcracker” alternative that charms children year after year. Based on Margery Williams’ children’s book of the same name, the show tells the story of a stuffed rabbit that comes to life through the love of its owner.

Complete with madcap characters such as a two-person-tall Nana, “The Velveteen Rabbit” sees ODC’s professional dancers and Youth & Teen Program students come together for a Bay Area favorite.

Nov. 30-Dec. 8. $30-$125. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission St., S.F. 415-863-9834. https://odc.dance/velveteenrabbit

UpSwing Aerial Dance Company’s ‘Solstice!’

On the longest night of the year, Berkeley’s UpSwing Aerial Dance Company invites audience members to enjoy aerial performances, live music and a film screening. The solstice show, an UpSwing staple since 2005, are set to feature the music of Emmy-winning composer Dan Cantrell, known for the “Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack” soundtrack, among other performances in celebration of the return of the sun.

5 and 8 p.m. Dec. 21. Tickets on sale Nov. 15. Studio 12, 2525 Eighth St., Berkeley. www.upswingaerialdance.org

Linda Liu is a freelance writer.