To the uninitiated, Tchaikovsky's classic is all sugar plums and tutus. But there's so much more to love about this holiday must-see.

This time of year, we like our ballet like we like our fruitcake: rich and complex with undertones of sweetness, a hint of nuttiness and an elegant, expansive finish (yes, that is a lot to expect from dessert). Alberta Ballet's The Nutcracker fits the bill, thanks to a talented cast of dancers, designers and a stellar choreographer-director duo. To boot, the story's dark origins--not to mention its recent controversial status--provide fodder for adults-only half-time conversation (let the little ones enjoy their sugar-plum dreams).

1. Not So Much with the Kid-Friendly The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, written by German author E.T.A. Hoffman in 1816, was never intended for young children. The horror and fantasy writer created the piece as a cautionary tale illustrating the depravity of humankind.

2. Sometimes Seven Heads Aren't Better Than One Hoffman's original tale is all blood and hideous dwarves. His Mouse King is a seven-headed beast who is killed in his battle with the Nutcracker, and whose mother is stepped on and crushed to death. Happily, Alexandre Dumas ( The Three Musketeers) rewrote it with a gentler plot that inspired Tchaikovsky's ballet.

3. Bah, Humbug Much? Tough to believe, given that it's the world's most popular ballet, but the first review of Tchaikovsky's masterpiece following its 1892 Russian premiere was not favourable: "For dancers there is rather little in it, for art absolutely nothing, and for the artistic fate of our ballet, one more step downward."

4. Shame On You In a recent article in the Washington Post, dance critic Sarah Kaufman argued that The Nutcracker should be retired to make way for "more interesting programming." Former prima ballerina Karen Kain argued against this notion, saying that such popular fare provides financial backing for new ballet. More compelling, however, was the torrent of listeners who weighed in with fervent defences of their beloved family tradition. One hundred and twenty years in, The Nutcracker is still keeping us young at heart.

Alberta Ballet's The Nutcracker runs Friday, Dec. 18 to Saturday, Dec. 26 at the

Jubilee Auditorium, 1415 14th Ave. N.W., $27 -$106. Visit ticket.albertaballet.com.