The traditional story line is kinda there, if you look for it, on a stripped-down stage dominated by a row of dance-studio mirrors and a giant torso of a naked pregnant woman sculpted in a Baroque style. So is the Tchaikovsky score, which is now and then playfully overlaid with French-style accordion playing.

But Béjart put an autobiographical twist on the old story, with a tribute to his mother, who died when he was a boy. Meanwhile he had fun stretching classical ballet steps into extreme athletic moves that are more typical of the Cirque du Soleil. As the dancers pair and re-pair, there are enough homo and bi shadings to suit the queerest balletomane -- not to mention lots of cross-dressing (bearded ballerinas, girls in men's apache and black tie, etc.)

Most of the principal dancers are wonderful, notably Gil Roman -- though the pair who performed the iconic Sugar Plum Fairy pas de deux were not up to it technically.

But all in all, Béjart's Nutcracker joins the growing list of successfully-gayed-up versions of classical ballets, including Bourne's haunting "Swan Lake." Lots of clips can be found online, including Direct TV Lounge and YouTube. It's also available on DVD, if you search on Google.

Ovation TV is carried by Dish Network and Direct TV.