Peninsula Ballet Theatre dancers perform hip-hop version of 'The Nutcracker'

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (KGO) -- This time of year, so many people go and watch the Nutcracker. But at one Bay Area theater, the classic is being performed with a twist. Instead of ballet, the dancers will be doing hip-hop moves.

You may recognize the music, classic Tchaikovsky. But this is a Nutcracker performance like you've never seen. There are no ballet shoes used for the moves they're doing.

"You can expect to see break dancing, turf dancing, crump dancing, popping, animation, pretty much all styles of hip-hop and street dance," said Stuck Sanders, one of the choreographers and directors of hip-hop Nutcracker.

The basic storyline is the same, it's set on Christmas Eve, a young girl enters a dreamland and a nutcracker comes to life and takes her on an adventure.

"All I know is ballet that's my background. I saw this I fell in love with it! exclaimed Christine Leslie, the CEO of Peninsula Ballet Theatre.

It is Peninsula Ballet Theatre's 50th anniversary and Leslie wanted to celebrate genres of dance the old and the new.

The teachers experimented with a hip-hop version of the Nutcracker last year at the Fox Theatre in Redwood City. It was received so well they are bringing it back again and adding a second performance.

The classic Nutcracker music has been remixed to fit the dancing

"All the music he has all the beats translates immediately. So, everyone who knows nutcracker will say I see it, I get it," said Leslie.

The dancers are rehearsing this week and perfecting their moves. They're excited to showcase their skills and flavor to audiences.

Andrew Wong is playing the role of The Nutcracker. It's his second year performing in the hip-hop version. He enjoys working in Sanders' productions and the dance company is planning to do hip-hop versions of Sleeping Beauty and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

"A lot of things you don't expect so a lot of these things if you see here if you're an audience member you'd be like oh my God that's crazy because we add so many different elements," said Wong.

Performances of hip-hop nutcracker are this Friday and Sunday night. Tickets are still available but they are selling fast.

Click here for more information or to buy tickets.