Article by:
David W Owen
Young ballet dancers are rehearsing for their first roles in a professional show.
Isabel Wal, 15, from Oadby; Kathryn Stone, 14, from Whetstone; Chloe Smith, from Kibworth, and Abigail Loke, from Leicester, are being put through their paces ahead of a production of Giselle with the English Youth Ballet (EYB).
Abigail will play a townswoman, while Chloe, Kathryn and Isabel will dance as the Wilis – the ghosts of jilted women who rise from their graves to take revenge on men who wander into the forest.
Ben Garner, company manager for EYB, said: "They are currently having an amazing time in rehearsals."
The romantic ballet will be presented at the Theatre Royal concert hall, Nottingham, on July 22 and 23.
It stars Adele Robbins, Amy Drew, Monica Tapiador, Oliver Speers, Richard Read, Brenden Bratulic and Trevor Wood.
The Leicestershire dancers were among 100 chosen from 300 hopefuls from across the country at auditions in April.
Amy Drew, who has danced with the Tasmanian Classical Ballet and National Ballet of Ireland, is coaching them in rehearsals.
She said: "They are treated like professional dancers during rehearsals – we work them hard, but the results are fantastic.
"They learn what the life of a professional dancer is like. They are living their dream and they just love it."
Director Janet Lewis said: "The English Youth Ballet is all about providing extra performance experience to young dancers.
"We saw a very pleasing standard at the auditions and it was lovely to see lots of enthusiasm."
Leicester Grammar School pupil Abigail, Kibworth School student Chloe and Countesthorpe College pupil Kathryn are all tutored at the Caroline Carr Dance Studios, in Kibworth and Lutterworth.
Isabel is taught at the Dixon Woods School of Dance, in Oadby.
The EYB has developed many of the UK's top ballet dancers, who have gone on to perform with the likes of the Royal Ballet Company and the English National Ballet.
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