Do you cringe every time you hear the Waltz of the Flowers? Do the lilting notes of the Sugar Plum pas de deux give you the urge to buy a jumbo pack of earplugs? If you’ve already had a little too much Tchaikovsky this holiday season, now’s the time to switch things up in class. The Harlem Nutcracker, Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s 1960s jazz arrangement is the perfect album for a change of pace without completely losing the joy of the annual holiday ballet. “Dance of the Floreodores” is just close enough to the original to get you smiling, and “Sugar Rum Cherry” goes down much smoother than the classic version. These snazzy rhythms will keep your fingers snapping, and your students will still get a healthy dose of Nutcracker spirit.

Want to go off the Nutcracker path altogether this year? Check out, “Nutcracker Nouveau” for tips on creating your studio’s new holiday classic.