THE Robinvale Ballet Guild returned to the stage last Friday for its first full concert since 2018.
More than 100 students from the guild performed for its annual showcase at the Robinvale Community Arts Centre, where parents and family members were part of an audience of more than 800 people.
Guild president Emily Zappia expressed her thanks to the students and teachers for making the showcase a success.
“The students shone on stage, showing all their hard work and talent,” she said.
“It was incredible to see the joy and energy they brought and the community’s support was heart-warming.”
Ms Zappia said the Robinvale Ballet Guild had been around for more than 40 years but shut down after their showcase in 2018, creating a gap for dance in the community.
“The guild has been around for a very, very long time, and we are a massive community down here with a lot of kids,” she said.
“But it was inactive for a few years because it was just really hard to find teachers and committee members.
“Dance has been gone for so long that a lot of kids were actually travelling to Mildura for it.
“There’s netball and there’s basketball, but there was always a demand for dance in the community.”
The situation changed when experienced dance teacher Amy Bowcott joined the guild in February after moving to Robinvale from the United Kingdom.
Before relocating to Australia, Ms Bowcott taught at Hereford Ballet School for several years.
“We were very lucky to have Amy come along and move into town,” Ms Zappia said.
“She took the opportunity, and she was happy to give it a go.”
Ms Zappia said people in Robinvale instantly took interest when the guild announced its return.
“It was definitely a hit,” she said.
“We had expressions of interest and children were signing up straight away, and that’s when we knew lots of people really wanted to dance in the community.”
Ms Zappia said the showcase was in production for several months, as students rehearsed multiple numbers across a variety of genres.
“I think this is the first time we’ve had tap and musical theatre,” she said.
“The kids that did musical theatre really stepped out of their comfort zone with mics. They’re not singers but they gave it a go.”
