Dance Works’ kids return to stage

AFTER a couple of missteps, the regular showcase of Ballarat Dance Works student progress throughout the first half on the year, also known as the Annual Soirée, is set to raise the curtain at the Wendouree Centre for Performing Arts on Saturday, 28 August.

The Soirée precedes the dance school’s planned fully fledged end-of-year production of Frozen, which is currently scheduled for Saturday, 28 November at Her Majesty’s Theatre.

Dance Works’ artistic director and former international ballet dancer Pamela Waghorn said the pared-down student showcase has been long awaited after having to postpone it twice already.

“It’s been a bit of a topsy-turvy kind of year,” she said. “We’re still pushing through and, fingers crossed, everything will be okay.

“It’s been hard each time when we’ve had to postpone – especially to see the kids’ disappointed faces, saying ‘Oh no, here we go again’ sort of thing.

“They’ve been looking forward to it for so long. We’ve had to think of them first, it’s always about their welfare and keeping them engaged and positive.”

As Mrs Waghorn explained, the delayed performance is “a very low-key afternoon” designed to show the kids’ work and how they’ve improved during a stop-start 2021.

“It’s not as formal as a full-scale production, we just try to get the kids on stage performing their dances and what they’ve learned for the first part of the year.

“Especially for the little tackers that are three and four, it’s an opportunity for them to have that little bit of experience performing and not be as frightened.”

Ballarat Dance Works 2021 Soirée will take place at Wendouree Centre for the Performing Arts on Howitt Street on 28 August from 2pm. Tickets can be purchased via bit.ly/2Xv0VQy.