Angelina Ballerina has been busy touring Australia over the Christmas holidays, with the help of some very lucky local students.
The famous dancing mouse needed some extras to perform in her “Mousical”, and auditions were held at schools around the country.
In Canberra 43 dancers from Canberra Festival Ballet School, Lisa Clark Dance Centre, Canberra Dance Development Centre and Dance Central were selected, and performed on the stage of the Canberra Theatre Centre. In Sydney, 30 students from the Tanya Pearson Classical Coaching Academy joined the cast at the Sydney Opera House. In Adelaide 10 students from the Rebecca Mason Dance Studio performed at the Playhouse at the Adelaide Festival Centre.
Next Angelina and her troupe travelled to Brisbane, where the show opened on January 8 at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre in Brisbane. They were joined by 16 students from Brisbane Dance Theatre. Pictured are some of the lucky little mice: (from left) Kiri Schneideman, Mia Gist, Sacha Newberry, Lilly Argus, Lucinda Cunliffe and Eliza Ryan; (back row): Samantha Burns and Matilda Shanks.
Brisbane Dance Theatre head teacher Stacey McCallum said the children were all very excited to be dancing on stage and in a professional production. “They all auditioned in-house and they feel incredibly special to have this opportunity to dance on stage in Angelina Ballerina The Mousical”.
The children are aged from 5 to 10 years of age.
The show opens next in Melbourne, from January 15 to 19, where we're told no local children will take part because of difficulties negotiating child/work laws.
See the Feb/Mar issue of 'Dance Australia' for more photos.