“May Your Feet always Bring You to Where your Heart is” and Nevermind Your Commitments and Responsibilities

I enjoyed most of this for a couple of reasons. First of all Nick Hendrix from Midsomer Murders played the love interest! How awesome is that?! Second, I liked the Historic Englishness of it, particularly bringing in the old-timey waltz and the quadrille which harkens to Georgette Heyer which I always enjoy, and other historical romances which I sometimes enjoy.

It is “suggested” to a respected ballerina, Clare, who is unfortunately past her prime that she retire from professional dancing and take up teaching or some other adjunct to the ballet business. She is not quite ready to hang up her toe shoes and has to ponder this momentous and devastating change of direction. So she accepts her Aunt Bridget’s invitation to holiday in England. Her aunt has an ulterior motive. She and her history professor friend (Nick) are trying to get her home on the national register of historic buildings. To that end, they put on a Christmas Ball to woo the commission.

Her aunt also wants her to stay in England and take over her dance studio and things are looking promising in the love department as well. Nick almost kisses her under the mistletoe. “Don’t look at me with that tone of voice!” And Aunt Bridget has a promise of romance as well with Richard Lintern who I am familiar with due to his appearances in many British mystery and crime shows.

Clare has choreographed the ball and recruited and taught the volunteers who will demonstrate the dances. All is looking good when she gets a call from her ballet company in Boston. In an amazing stroke of luck, 2 ballerinas are hobbled and Clare is the only one who can fill in to dance the Nutcracker! She very wisely takes advantage of their desperation by negotiating a very sweet deal that will revitalize her career and ensure her future.  She leaves England before the Christmas Ball to save the Nutcracker in Boston and I don’t blame her. Good decision. This is her dream and she is set up for life as well. Everyone is a little miffed even though they are pretty much set to go without Clare, but Nick steps up and defends her like a hero. Alas, Clare’s choice is not an acceptable one in a Christmas movie. She changes her mind again and flounces back to England in time for the Christmas Ball, leaving her ballet company and the Nutcracker and all of the poor people who bought tickets in the lurch. I thought this was a very dirty trick. Not cool at all. So she was kinda wrong to leave her Aunt and the ball, even though I don’t blame her, but she was really wrong to leave Boston. But all that is not addressed. Clare gets her kiss at the Christmas ball and presumably stays in England for the easy life. The end brought it down a notch.

December 27, 2021