The Harlem Nutcracker.(New York, NY)

The Nutcracker is a Christmas habit that is hard to break. For many dance companies, it is the bread-and-butter that funds the rest of their season. But how many times can a dance enthusiast sit through the same old story? The Mark Morris Dance Company solved this problem a few years ago with its bold and brash The Hard Nut. This year, new life was breathed into the old classic by Donald Byrd/The Group's The Harlem Nutcracker. Costumes were designed by Gabriel Berry, scenery by Eduardo Sicangco, and lighting by David H. Rosenburg.

Using Duke Ellington's adaptation of Tchaikovsky's score, Donald Byrd's tale focuses on Clara, a widowed grandmother who lives in an elegant Harlem brownstone. In Act I, as she awaits her family on Christmas Eve, she daydreams of another Christmas long …