THE NUTHOUSE Comes to Dance Theatre of Orlando

Dance Theatre of Orlando invites community members to attend its second annual Christmas production of "The Nuthouse" Dec. 1-3.

The professional dance company's holiday show is not your normal "Nutcracker," but a fresh take on the traditional ballet, created by company founder and Artistic Director Marshall Ellis. Set on Christmas Eve, the show features Ellis as a benevolent doctor who presides over an asylum filled with patients, including newcomer Claire.

The storyline and characters represent an alternate version of the conventional Christmas tale, but there's also plenty of tradition running through it. The show is set to the well-known music of Tchaikovsky, and the familiar dances - Arabian, Russian, Chinese and more - are all there, but with a twist.

The 70-minute show runs Dec. 1-3 at 7:30 nightly. It's staged at ME Theatre, 1300 La Quinta Drive in Orlando. Tickets are available online at dancetheatreoforlando.com. The cost is $20, and there's a student discount.

Ellis formed Dance Theatre of Orlando in 2011 as ME Dance Company, and changed its name in 2016 to signify a new era of artistic innovation and growth. It's funded through ME Dance, Inc., a non-profit organization that serves as a beacon of light in the Central Florida arts community. The mission of ME Dance, Inc. is to introduce innovative ideas through dance, to create growth in the arts community and to provide an outlet to feature talent in art through entertainment.

For more information about "The Nuthouse," the Dance Theatre of Orlando professional company or the non-profit ME Dance, Inc., visit dancetheatreoforlando.com, call 844-633-2623.