Dancers to take the stage for inaugural Bellarine Dance Fest

ABOUT 200 dancers will be treading the boards at the Potato Shed in Drysdale next month for the first Bellarine Dance Fest.

The event, which will be held on May 26, is a celebration of dance for children and young adults aged between 6 and 18 years, who are residents of the Bellarine or City of Greater Geelong.

Dance teacher Allegonda Deppe is the brains behind Bellarine Dance Fest, which aims to give all participants the opportunity to perform on stage without the pressure of “having to win”.

“It gives every entrant the experience of performing and sharing with peers, family and teachers, while offering local schools an opportunity to showcase their work,” Ms Deppe said.

“Also, rather than this festival being a large eisteddfod, it is a stepping stone to the more formal competitions held in major cities and large regional towns.”

Ms Deppe said as the festival grew it would become a two-day event, and include workshops presented by highly qualified and experienced dance teachers of various genres, as well as health specialists such as physiotherapists and dieticians.

These workshops and lectures will be open to all dance teachers, interested parents and all entrants of the festival.

Ms Deppe, with the support of an amazing group of dance teachers and dance enthusiasts, has been planning the first Bellarine Dance Fest for the past 12 months.

Ms Deppe has many years of dance teaching, examining and performance experience.

Following the closure of her ballet school at the end of 2017, it was the ideal time to start on a new challenge being the Bellarine Dance Fest.

The event has been made possible by a generous Creative Arts Grant from the City of Greater Geelong, and Cr Stephanie Asher will be the special guest to open the festival.

Tickets can be booked through the Potato Shed on 5251 1998 and City of Greater Geelong offices.