Throw out the tutus, the toe shoes and the Tchaikovsky. Think belly dancers, ninja mice and a menage a trois between a doll, a 7-year-old girl and a nutcracker.

Valerie Williams, artistic director of Co’Motion Dance Theater, transforms ballet’s most popular work, “The Nutcracker,” into one of the company’s silliest annual productions.

“3 Spikes, You’re Out!” is a parody based on E.T.A. Hoffman’s original story of “The Nutcracker,” with music arranged by Spike Jones.

The plot is fairly simple in the original tale, but in “3 Spikes and You’re Out!” the playwright added a few new parts.

A little girl named Marie is given a nutcracker for Christmas that she instantly falls in love with. That night she dreams he comes to life and battles with an army of mice and their king.

The Nutcracker takes Marie through the imaginary city of Metropolis to his Marzipan Castle where he presents his court.

Williams’ version separates itself through the humorous situations and Jones’ strange music, which includes cow bells, gargling noises and barking.

“I like ballet,” modern dancer Williams said. “Excuse me — I like good ballet, but it doesn’t have much substance.” And often, ballet does not have much humor, but not in the case of Williams’ work.

In “3 Spikes, You’re Out,” the Nutcracker fights ninja mice not with a sword but with a candy cane.

After the mice have eaten all of Marie’s Christmas candy, they have toothaches and dance to “All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth.”

Although she is madly in love with the handsome Nutcracker, Marie can see he is a little weak when it comes to the ladies. She separates her doll, Clara, from him numerous times.

Other ladies give love tokens to the Nutcracker, which Marie returns to them all. One of the gifts is a crock-pot.

Williams said she tried to think of another name for the m‚nage a trois scene but was unsuccessful. Marie and Clara don’t fight over him in the scene; they all work together.

“I had been working on this long before the Clinton scandal,” Williams said.

To make matters more confusing, the part of Clara is played by three different dancers, one of them being Williams herself.

“Everyone wants to be Clara,” she said. “It’s my production, and I can be Clara if I want to.”

Additionally, the cast includes 60 dancers of all types, including professional dancers, martial artists and dancers from Middle Eastern dance troupe Mirage.

“3 Spikes, You’re Out!” is untraditional in every way, appealing to those unfamiliar with dance and people who have seen 20 performances of “The Nutcracker.” Lasting less than two hours, its “inspired silliness” brings a smile to any face and makes Williams giggle every time.

“3 Spikes, You’re Out” runs tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Ames City Auditorium. Tickets are $10 for general admission and $7 for students and senior citizens.