ENRICHING LIVES THROUGH DANCE WITH WEST AUSTRALIAN BALLET
Chance to Dance at Pingelly Primary School. Photo by Scott Dennis
Celebrating their 70th anniversary in 2022, West Australian Ballet has kicked off the newest season of A Chance to Dance.
Supported by a community grant from the Stan Perron Charitable Foundation, the program brings dance and live performance to children attending schools in lower socio-economic areas of Perth and regional WA.
During the residency, children have the opportunity to explore different styles of dance and movement while developing their own performance. As well as encouraging creativity, teamwork and building new skills, the program is designed to be accessible to children from diverse cultural backgrounds and varying degrees of physical ability.
“It’s really nice having people come down to the country to teach all of the students’ ballet moves. It’s something that we appreciate and something that we’ll remember for years,” said one teacher from Beverly District High School, 2020 Chance to Dance participants.
Each in-school residency consists of ten workshops taught by West Australian Ballet’s highly skilled Teaching Artists. The residency program culminates in a trip to His Majesty’s Theatre in the Perth CBD, where students are treated to a performance by the West Australian Ballet. The performance on offer this year is a uniquely West Australian adaptation of Swan Lake.
With tickets and transport provided complimentary through the program, the excursion is a particularly exciting opportunity for students who would otherwise struggle to access the theatre.
After significant disruption caused by COVID-19, West Australian Ballet is getting ready to introduce another cohort to the unique joys of live performance in a welcoming environment— an exciting experience for students and staff alike.
“It was so inspiring to be a part of your program with my students. I got to witness how creative my students can be. It was so special to see them dancing and being mindful at the same time,” said Collette, a teacher at Embleton Primary School.
While there’s no substitute for seeing their performances live, West Australian Ballet have kindly provided a video which documents what this year’s participants can look forward to as they take part in “A Chance to Dance”.
Published: 19 May 2022