TALENTED young dancers from local schools have won coveted roles in an English Youth Ballet production.
Nine-year-old Sasha Wilkinson, of Burley-in-Wharfedale, who attends the Sara Packham Theatre School and Jia-Chen Lei, aged nine, from Bingley, who attends WTA Dance Academy in Ilkley, have been chosen to be part of the 80-strong cast of English Youth Ballet’s (EYB’s) production of Swan Lake after competitive auditions.
They are currently experiencing the life of a professional dancer in rehearsals and are excited to perform alongside international professional dancers in English Youth Ballet’s Swan Lake at the Victoria Theatre, Halifax, from Friday, June 7 to Saturday, June 8, 2024.
Sasha, who is a pupil at Westville House School in Ilkley, said: “I have always loved music and started dancing in my highchair and cot when I was a baby I would bounce about to the rhythm. I started actual Baby Ballet when I was two years old.
"I feel joy and exhilaration when I dance. It’s so great being able to express myself through dance.
"I am so excited to be performing alongside professional dancers at EYB. I'm sure I will learn so much and it will be wonderful to connect with lots of other children from across the region.
"I dance at Sara Packham's Theatre School taking classes in Ballet, Jazz, Enhancement and Musical Theatre. I'm also a pupil at Northern Ballet enjoying classes in their Centre for Advanced Training. When I grow up I want to be a surgeon, maybe I'll be a dancing doctor!
"I was lucky enough to be selected as a famous Alhambra Sunbeam and took part in 37 Cinderella Pantomimes alongside Billy Pearce and other famous people! It was a brilliant experience!"
Jia-Chen said: “I started dancing when I was three and half. I thought it was really interesting. I tried it out and really enjoyed it, so I carried on. It is now my hobby, and I think it is the best thing ever!
"Dancing gives me comfort and makes me feel at home. It also gives me energy.
"I hope EYB will inspire me to become a professional ballerina, and I hope it will help me to improve my technique and expressiveness when performing.
"I dance with WTA Dance Academy in Ilkley and love my dance school. I have performed in Peter Pan as Tinker Bell in 2023 and the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as the Snow Princess (2024)."
English Youth Ballet principal Ann Wall, who stars as Odette (White Swan) in the production, says: "I wish I had danced with English Youth Ballet when I was young. The dancers learn so much about performance skills and the artistry of ballet.
"As a principal dancer I get to dance challenging and iconic roles, teach the young dancers and see them progress. The sets and costumes in this production are superb and the whole experience is one the young dancers, and audiences, will never forget!"
EYB director Janet Lewis OBE added: “English Youth Ballet’s aim is to provide performance experience to aspiring young dancers in beautiful venues close to where they live. The young dancers get to experience what life is like in a professional ballet company. They learn about developing their artistic and performance skills as well as improving their technique. I am always amazed at how quickly the young dancers progress and how positive they are when presented with new challenges.”
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