WEDNESDAY afternoon was a big day for burgeoning ballet dancers in Swan Hill as the Victorian State Ballet (VSB) auditioned potential performers for the upcoming production of The Little Mermaid to be performed at the Swan Hill Town Hall on Sunday July 7 at 2pm.
As with the Christmas performance of The Nutcracker Suite last year, this show will feature local talent from dance schools across the region performing alongside professional dancers from the ballet company.
Two dancers from the VSB, Maggie Dekoning and Elise Jaques, put the local dance hopefuls through their paces to select the eight to 12 juniors and six to eight seniors who will join them and the entire company of more than 40 for the performance.
Both dancers had been to Swan Hill before and said they were very excited to have the kids back again as with each audition there seemed to be more going along to try out.
“They were really wonderful in our last three productions and they have really enjoyed the experience,” Ms Jaques said.
“It’s nice to be back and give them another opportunity in a different type of story ballet.
“They are very enthusiastic and keen to learn.
“I think they appreciate having some higher-level professionals come to a rural area and giving them the option to work with professionals.
“The standard is very good, the training level is really, really high and they seem very versatile, not just in ballet but other styles as well.”
Dancers selected this week have been given a two-hour training session and before the show will be required to practise what they learned from the session and a video.
On the day before the performance they will be given a full day of rehearsals with the ballet company.
This ballet will bring something a little different from a traditional ballet to Swan Hill audiences.
It is the first time it has been performed in Swan Hill and is unique to VSB as it is their own ballet.
Ms Dekoning said she found the students’ enthusiasm and keenness to learn and the excitement of teaching new steps and a new repertoire a wonderful experience.
“They pick it up really quickly,” she said.
“They are really good.
“It is really fast learning a whole dance in one hour.
“It’s a lot to take in.”
This version of the story, although having elements of the well-known Disney production, is based on the traditional Hans Christian Anderson tale.
“It has its moments of lightness but it also has a darkness that is child friendly and delves into a deeper story of the little mermaid,” Ms Jaques said.
“The music is very exciting and it builds right till the end.
“There are some amazing projections that showcase the backdrop of where all this is happening.
“There is a really exciting number that will be at the beginning of the ballet: an underwater piece with beautiful colourful costumes.
“It is a very colourful ballet and it is one that adults will also enjoy as it has a darker, deeper story to it.”
The dancers told The Guardian the key was not just raw talent alone but how quickly the dancers could learn, jokingly calling it “brainpower ballet”.
