The NutCracker, presented by State Street Ballet.

Playing with tradition is a bold move, and one Rodney Gustafson, artistic director of State Street Ballet, is not afraid to try. Last weekend, the company presented its annual holiday production-a 1930s Hollywood twist on The Nutcracker. There are quite a few versions of the Christmas classic dancing through Santa Barbara this time of year, and it can be hard to keep them all straight, but State Street Ballet’s variation is unmistakable; Gustafson reinterprets the traditional story using gangster rats in zoot suits and Ethel Merman-style synchronized swimmers as snowflakes.

The problem with this version, though, is the colorful characters of this golden era never quite form a cohesive whole. Each scene is distinct from the next, with little character development and a few confusing ambiguities. The provocative French maid at the party appears again in Act II, for example, as a Russian dancer in a mini dress and apron, without any explanation for her reincarnation.

Dancing was strong and consistent for the most part, with long, elegant lines and crisp turns. The company’s strength lies in the dancers’ abilities to strike positions and wow the audience with split grand jetes and high leg extensions. The corps de ballet was also well choreographed with solid dancing, and the energy of the group pieces often surpassed the solos.