We have three dancers who together, have over 40 years of Nutcrackers combined between them!
Bella Gregg has performed in 15 Nutcrackers (her first Nutcracker was also as a Baby Mouse at age of 2)
Ally Nash has performed in 11 Nutcrackers (her first Nutcracker she was a little March Girl at age of 6)
Avery Katharine has performed in 18 Nutcrackers (her first Nutcracker was a baby Mouse at age 1)
Avery, Bella and Ally are all Seniors who will graduate in May 2020 from Desert Vista High School which makes 2019, their very last Nutcracker. They have performed many roles over the years from Baby Mice, to March Girls, Best Friends, Lead Doll, Dolls, Angels, Clowns, Toy Soldiers, Maids, Arabian, Spanish, Marzipan, Snowflakes, Russian, China, Bon Bon, Dew Drops, Waltz of the Flowers – they have done it ALL!!! Bella and Avery have both been cast as Clara and also as the Sugarplum Fairy.
Because this is the last year they will be performing in the Ahwatukee Foothills Nutcracker Ballet before going off to college next fall, Kimberly Lewis the producer, cast the three girls in the three main Queen Roles of: Sugarplum Fairy, Snow Queen & Butterfly Queen. Each of the girls will rotate a role between the three performances.
Saturday, December 14th at 12:00 noon performance Ally will dance the role of Sugarplum Fairy, Avery will be the Snow Queen and Bella will be the Butterfly Queen
Saturday, December 14th at 5:30 pm performance Bella will dance the role of Sugarplum Fairy, Ally will dance the role of Snow Queen and Avery will dance the role of Butterfly Queen
Sunday, December 15th at 1:00 pm performance Avery will dance the role of Sugarplum Fairy, Bella will dance the role of Snow Queen and Ally will dance the role of Butterfly Queen
Both Bella and Avery have performed the roles in past Nutcrackers of the Sugarplum Fairy, Snow Queen and Butterfly Queen. This is Ally’s first year dancing the roles of Sugarplum Fairy and Snow Queen (Ally danced the role of Butterfly Queen in the 2018 Nutcracker)
This is new for our dancers this year to rotate these very difficult roles. They have all new, difficult choreography to learn which is very challenging.
Kimberly Lewis the producer of The Ahwatukee Foothills Nutcracker Ballet wanted each of the girls to have their senior year dancing the three main roles one more time before graduation. Because these girls have grown up doing the Nutcracker since the ages of 1, 2, and 6, I wanted them to have one more time to shine on the stage in the three main Queen roles. What will be so enjoyable this year is that every show will be so different. People will want to attend all three shows just to see what each girl brings to the role she is performing in. Kimberly also wanted their senior year performing as the Sugarplum Fairy one last time to be extra special so she flew in from Boston, Mr. Russell Clarke from the Boston Ballet Conservatory to choreograph the role this year of the Sugarplum Fairy. The choreography by Russell Clarke is very difficult and challenging. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for Avery, Bella and Ally to work with such a famous choreography.
Not only have Avery, Bella and Ally danced many many years of Nutcrackers together but they are also on the Company Team at Dance Studio 111 since the ages of 7 and have traveled together all over the country competing together at competitions. They are also on the Varsity Dance Line and Senior Elite Dance Team together at Desert Vista High School.
The younger dancers look up to Avery, Ally and Bella and they hope to one day dance all the beautiful roles in which these girls have all danced and performed in all these years. They will truly be missed next year…but how special on the 20th Anniversary of the Ahwatukee Foothills Nutcracker Ballet to go out on top…..