New Ballet Ensemble founder Katie Smythe says she’s “deathly excited and nervous” about this season’s performance of Nut ReMix because the Times’ dance critic, Alastair Macaulay, is dropping in on a national quest to find fresh takes on the classic. Smythe is especially happy to have received permission to use Deanie Parker’s 1958 hit “My Imaginary Guy” for the passage where Clara dances with the Nutcracker. “Oh, and the Chinese dragon does a backflip this year,” she says. — Chris Davis