Sneakers instead of ballet shoes. Gargling instead of violin playing. “Spiked!” is the Nutcracker like you’ve never seen it before.

Using classical ballet moves as a jumping-off point, Valerie Williams Co’Motion Dance Theater will perform “Spiked!,” based on the original story of “The Nutcracker,” tonight at 8 p.m. at the Ames City Auditorium. The modern dance ballet will also perform Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.

“[Musical arranger] Spike Jones takes other people’s music and gives it a manic style,” Williams said. She said Jones has been “adding bells and whistles” to classical and popular music since the 1940s.

Eight professional dancers will be joined by The Octagon Tappers, Mirage, Shilkaitis Family Martial Arts, a Middle-Eastern dance troupe, and the Children’s Dance Theater to produce “Spiked!”

Williams said she incorporated different dance styles to emphasize the different flavors of the songs and to appeal to different tastes. “I have belly dancers dancing the Arabian variation,” Williams said.

Lovers of the traditional Yule Tide favorite, “The Nutcracker,” by E.T.A. Hoffman will not be left out in the cold.

“Those [people] who have seen ‘The Nutcracker’ will crack up about our version,” Williams said. “I don’t think you can parody something you don’t know and love well,” she said about making a parody of the classic ballet.

The show will include many knock-offs of “The Nutcracker,” including a bower of flamingos instead of flowers and tap dancing instead of pointe ballet.

“Our fight scene is really pretty cool too,” she added.

“The set pieces are just as manic [as] Spike Jones’ music,” Williams said. The self-proclaimed “queen of lam‚,” Williams said the set uses great lengths of fabric in bold colors. The costumes, although not lam‚, will be anything but boring, she said.

“There is a fair amount of pedestrian clothing put together in a very non-pedestrian way,” Williams said.

Although Co’Motion Dance Theater is in residence at Iowa State University and performs two to three shows a year in Ames, the company spends more than half of its time on tour.

“There is really a fair amount of dancing going on in Ames. We don’t get a lot of publicity, but we have a good time,” Williams said.

“I love dancing and I don’t search for meaning,” Williams said about the purpose of dance. “I go to a show to see skilled movers moving. We cheat dance when we force it to become verbal. If my dancing makes you feel a certain way, then I’ve communicated.”

Advance tickets for “Spiked!” are $9 for general admission and $6 for students. At the door, tickets cost $10 general admission and $7 for students. Advance tickets can be purchased at the Stomping Grounds, Big Table Books and the Octagon Shop or by calling 232-7374.