YOUTH

TheFoothillsFocus.com

@TheFoothills.Focus /TheFoothillsFocus For more Youth News visit thefoothillsfocus.com

English Rose Tea Room brings ‘The Nutcracker’ to life

BY ALLISON BROWN

Foothills Focus Staff Writer

The English Rose Tea Room in Carefree is offering a cozy and personal viewing of select “Nutcracker” scenes paired with afternoon tea and treats from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturdays Dec. 11 and Dec. 18, as well as Sunday, Dec. 19.

“Dancers from the Arizona School of Classical Ballet will be coming to the tearoom to do an exhibit from ‘The Nutcracker,’” English Rose Tea Room owner Jo Gemmill said.

“Every year we invite different ballet schools to come and dance for our customers to create a Christmas-inspired, ‘Nutcracker’ tea party.”

According to Gemmill, this is the 10th year for the in-house “Nutcracker” ballet performances. Guests can expect to see classic dances like “The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” “Marzipan” and “Waltz of the Flowers,” with music played through the store’s sound system.

Gemmill said there will be up to three dancers inside and three or four dancing outside on the patio, rotating positions. The natural spacing allowed her to host the event last year, even with COVID-19 restrictions.

To fit the ballerinas and guests, the dancers essentially have a 4-foot square in which to dance. They had to eschew some of the leaps that might be seen on stage, but Gemmill said it’s special seeing the dancers up close.

“It’s wonderful for the children because they can be closer to a real ballerina,” she said. “Especially the little girls, they get enamored with seeing a ballerina and being able to get a photograph with them. It’s a special moment for them at Christmas, and this has become quite a family tradition for a lot of our customers.”

In addition to the performance, guests will be served afternoon tea with “NutcrackYOUTH

The dancers are volunteers from the Arizona School of Classic Ballet. (Photo courtesy of the

English Rose Tea Room)

er”-themed treats. Gemmill said local baker Lioni Feng provided “beautiful and very fancy” custom-made iced sugar cookies decorated as ballet shoes and ballerina dresses. There will also be assorted tea sandwiches, scones with jam and cream, macrons, cupcakes, chocolate strawberries and chocolate truffles. Gemmill said gift bags will have surprises.

“The Nutcracker” ballet is a tradition for Gemmill, who has hosted it since before the tearoom opened.

“I used to be in charge of the Carefree Christmas Festival,” she said. “When that was in operation, I used to negotiate with the local ballet schools to provide ‘The Nutcracker’ ballet on the stage for the festival. So, I had contacts with the ballet schools already, and I’ve built relationships with them over many years.”

The ballerinas who perform at the English Rose Tea Room all volunteer and, in turn, the tearoom promotes the ballet school and its performances.

This year, the English Rose Tea Room’s “Nutcracker” performances are sold out. According to Gemmill, the event sold out within four days of being posted on social media. However, the full performance by the Arizona School of Classic Ballet can be seen at Paradise Valley Community College at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11, or 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12.

“The Nutcracker”

WHEN: 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11 or 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12 WHERE: Paradise Valley Community College, 18401 N. 32nd Street, Phoenix COST: $30 INFO: https://bit.ly/NutcrackerASCB