Byron dancers join Victorian State Ballet for The Snow Queen

DANCERS from Byron Youth Ballet Company will share the stage with professionals from the Victorian State Ballet Company in an upcoming production of The Snow Queen, to be staged at Byron Theatre this month.

Based on the classic fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, the ballet follows the journey of a brave young girl named Gerda as she sets out to rescue her friend Kai, who has been enchanted and taken away by the evil Snow Queen to her icy kingdom.

Eighteen students from the local youth company will perform as part of the Snow Queen’s entourage, featured in a seven-minute segment of the production.

The show is directed and choreographed by Michelle Sierra, artistic director of the Victorian State Ballet, with whom the Byron Youth Ballet has fostered a close working relationship over the years.

This marks the Victorian State Ballet’s fourth visit to the Byron Shire.

It has previously collaborated with local students on productions of Snow White, The Little Mermaid and The Magic Toolbox.

Byron Ballet artistic director Yvonne Hall said the production provides an invaluable opportunity for young dancers.

“It’s a great experience for them to work with professional dancers and learn the etiquette of being in a performance with adult role models,” she said.

“Some of them are 16 now so they might have been 10 or 11 when they first danced with them.

“I think it’s such a great collaboration. It’s something that the kids will never forget. It’s also great for local audiences. We’re so lucky that these companies come here.”

Hall said many of the themes in The Snow Queen are as relevant today as when the story was written in the 1800s.

A key element of the ballet is the Devil’s Mirror, a mystical object that distorts reality by reflecting only the ugly and negative aspects of people and the world.

“The story is really relevant to modern times when you have to navigate those themes of what’s real and what’s not and what’s good and what’s not,” Hall said.

The Snow Queen will be performed at Byron Theatre from September 12 to 14.

For more information and tickets, visit byroncentre.com.au