Dressed in vibrant red costumes, Kylee Raiano and Julia Finegan held a playful pose while between them, Monique Dubois spun a delicate parasol.

The Newtown Centre of Classical Ballet’s Malenkee Ballet Repertoire Company has been in rehearsals recently, preparing for their annual performance of The Nutcracker Suite. The dancers will take the stage for two Sunday, December 1 performances, at noon and 2 pm. The condensed version of the full-length ballet will also include a story narrative.

The NCCB performances will be in the theater of Edmond Town Hall as part of 28th Annual Holiday Festival.

Among those moving through their routines during a dress rehearsal in their a studio above Botsford firehouse were Arliene Almeter, Morgan Cebry, Lizzy Delp, Tallie Nikitchyuki, Katerina Ringes, Vianna Schappach, Emma Sheridan, Jenna Siroky, Riley Smith, Taegan Smith, Rebecca Spalvieri, and Jerusha Wright.

NCCB Artistic Director Tory Gozzi has been leading the rehearsals for the upcoming performances, which will be her first after taking over the role from NCCB Jennifer Johnston earlier this year.

Holiday Festival Events

Newtown Savings Bank is the presenting sponsor of the holiday festival, which that will feature a Victorian Tea, gingerbread house contest, holiday craft boutique, festival of trees, the ballet performances, and more. All Holiday Festival activities are convenient to Main Street.

The event, to be conducted Sunday, December 1, from 11 am to 4 pm, is a fundraiser for Newtown Youth & Family Services (NYSF).

New this year is the addition of historic trolley tours along Main Street, with narration provided by Town Historian Dan Cruson.

Mr Cruson will lead three tours on Sunday, each departing from C.H. Booth Library and ending at Edmond Town Hall. Tours of the historic town hall building will be included. Reservations must be made for the tours, and can be done on Sunday at a booth that will be set up at the library.

Trolley Tour tickets are $5 each, or $2 with the purchase of a full Holiday Festival ticket.

Edmond Town Hall, at 45 Main Street, will house the Victorian Tea in The Alexandria Room, where guests will be offered their choices of mulled cider, tea, scones and tea breads, while listening to a variety of musical performances; a holiday craft boutique in the gymnasium, with vendors offering holiday decorations, toys, mosaics, glass and other item; and the Nutcracker Suite ballet performances in the theater.

The 8th Annual Gingerbread House Contest, with this year’s entries portraying a theme from a classic story book; and Festival of Trees, offering a collection of decorated table-top trees, wreaths, holiday decorations and gift items available through raffle, will be presented at C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main Street.

Contrary to initial announcements from organizers, Trinity Church will not be hosting a service of “Lessons and Carols” on Sunday.

In addition, house tours will take a hiatus this year as the committee wants to avoid repetition of houses, as well as the holiday weekend being inconvenient for the owners of houses.

Tickets are $10 for individuals, and $20 for families (two adults, two children, with each additional child $5 each). They are on sale at Everything Newtown, 61 Church Hill Road; C.H. Booth Library; and Newtown Savings Bank’s branches in Newtown (39 Main Street and 228 South Main Street, within Sand Hill Plaza); 68 Stony Hill Road in Bethel, and 99 Federal Road in Brookfield.

Newtown Youth & Family Services is dedicated to helping children and families achieve their highest potential. The nonprofit agency combines clinical services and positive youth development programs to provide a continuum of care to residents of the greater Newtown area.

NYFS is the designated mental health clinic for Newtown/Sandy Hook and is licensed by the Department of Children & Families as an Outpatient Psychiatric Clinic for Children and by the Department of Public Health as a Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic for Adults and as a Facility for the Care or Treatment of Substance Abusive or Dependent Persons. NYFS is accredited by the Council on Accreditation.

To find out more about NYFS or the Holiday Festival, call 203-270-4335 or visit www.newtownyouthandfamilyservices.org.

Dressed in vibrant red costumes, Kylee Raiano and Julia Finegan held a playful pose while between them, Monique Dubois spun a delicate parasol.

The Newtown Centre of Classical Ballet’s Malenkee Ballet Repertoire Company has been in rehearsals recently, preparing for their annual performance of The Nutcracker Suite. The dancers will take the stage for two Sunday, December 1 performances, at noon and 2 pm. The condensed version of the full-length ballet will also include a story narrative.

The NCCB performances will be in the theater of Edmond Town Hall as part of 28th Annual Holiday Festival.

Among those moving through their routines during a dress rehearsal in their a studio above Botsford firehouse were Arliene Almeter, Morgan Cebry, Lizzy Delp, Tallie Nikitchyuki, Katerina Ringes, Vianna Schappach, Emma Sheridan, Jenna Siroky, Riley Smith, Taegan Smith, Rebecca Spalvieri, and Jerusha Wright.

NCCB Artistic Director Tory Gozzi has been leading the rehearsals for the upcoming performances, which will be her first after taking over the role from NCCB Jennifer Johnston earlier this year.

Holiday Festival Events

Newtown Savings Bank is the presenting sponsor of the holiday festival, which that will feature a Victorian Tea, gingerbread house contest, holiday craft boutique, festival of trees, the ballet performances, and more. All Holiday Festival activities are convenient to Main Street.

The event, to be conducted Sunday, December 1, from 11 am to 4 pm, is a fundraiser for Newtown Youth & Family Services (NYSF).

New this year is the addition of historic trolley tours along Main Street, with narration provided by Town Historian Dan Cruson.

Mr Cruson will lead three tours on Sunday, each departing from C.H. Booth Library and ending at Edmond Town Hall. Tours of the historic town hall building will be included. Reservations must be made for the tours, and can be done on Sunday at a booth that will be set up at the library.

Trolley Tour tickets are $5 each, or $2 with the purchase of a full Holiday Festival ticket.

Edmond Town Hall, at 45 Main Street, will house the Victorian Tea in The Alexandria Room, where guests will be offered their choices of mulled cider, tea, scones and tea breads, while listening to a variety of musical performances; a holiday craft boutique in the gymnasium, with vendors offering holiday decorations, toys, mosaics, glass and other item; and the Nutcracker Suite ballet performances in the theater.

The 8th Annual Gingerbread House Contest, with this year’s entries portraying a theme from a classic story book; and Festival of Trees, offering a collection of decorated table-top trees, wreaths, holiday decorations and gift items available through raffle, will be presented at C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main Street.

Contrary to initial announcements from organizers, Trinity Church will not be hosting a service of “Lessons and Carols” on Sunday.

In addition, house tours will take a hiatus this year as the committee wants to avoid repetition of houses, as well as the holiday weekend being inconvenient for the owners of houses.

Tickets are $10 for individuals, and $20 for families (two adults, two children, with each additional child $5 each). They are on sale at Everything Newtown, 61 Church Hill Road; C.H. Booth Library; and Newtown Savings Bank’s branches in Newtown (39 Main Street and 228 South Main Street, within Sand Hill Plaza); 68 Stony Hill Road in Bethel, and 99 Federal Road in Brookfield.

Newtown Youth & Family Services is dedicated to helping children and families achieve their highest potential. The nonprofit agency combines clinical services and positive youth development programs to provide a continuum of care to residents of the greater Newtown area.

NYFS is the designated mental health clinic for Newtown/Sandy Hook and is licensed by the Department of Children & Families as an Outpatient Psychiatric Clinic for Children and by the Department of Public Health as a Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic for Adults and as a Facility for the Care or Treatment of Substance Abusive or Dependent Persons. NYFS is accredited by the Council on Accreditation.

To find out more about NYFS or the Holiday Festival, call 203-270-4335 or visit www.newtownyouthandfamilyservices.org.