Cinderella in Hollywood ballet to star 12 young dancers from Horsham district

Twelve talented young dancers from the Horsham district are busy rehearsing for a new ballet which is set to pirouette into The Hawth Theatre, Crawley tomorrow and Saturday .
Young dancers from the Horsham district who are set to take part in English Youth Ballet's (EYB) new producation called 'Cinderella in Hollywood'. Back line - Aimee Johnston, Georgia Rixson, Emily McGivern, Amelia Newman, Abigail Mellor, Amy Griffiths, Summer Avedissian, Charlotte Coleman. Front line - Ruby Fraser, Kye Hill, Laila Cronin. Picture by Ben Garner SUS-180511-155927001Young dancers from the Horsham district who are set to take part in English Youth Ballet's (EYB) new producation called 'Cinderella in Hollywood'. Back line - Aimee Johnston, Georgia Rixson, Emily McGivern, Amelia Newman, Abigail Mellor, Amy Griffiths, Summer Avedissian, Charlotte Coleman. Front line - Ruby Fraser, Kye Hill, Laila Cronin. Picture by Ben Garner SUS-180511-155927001
Young dancers from the Horsham district who are set to take part in English Youth Ballet's (EYB) new producation called 'Cinderella in Hollywood'. Back line - Aimee Johnston, Georgia Rixson, Emily McGivern, Amelia Newman, Abigail Mellor, Amy Griffiths, Summer Avedissian, Charlotte Coleman. Front line - Ruby Fraser, Kye Hill, Laila Cronin. Picture by Ben Garner SUS-180511-155927001

They will be among 100 dancers aged eight to 18 from West Sussex and the surrounding areas who will take on the soloist and corps de ballet roles in English Youth Ballet’s (EYB) Cinderella in Hollywood production.

Kye Hill, who goes to Tanbridge House School and is training at Glynde Place Dance Studio, is one of the dancers taking part.

Kye said: “I was eight years old when I started dancing.

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“I started because my older brother did ballet and I thought ‘Why not?’.

“I’ve danced with EYB before in Swan Lake.

“I am looking forward to dancing in a new production, so I get a different experience. I’d like to be a ballet dancer in the future.”

Set in the glamorous era of 1950s Hollywood movies, the lavish production draws its inspiration from the film star Grace Kelly, who met Prince Rainier of Monaco at a press party and later married him.

EYB held a huge audition for the ballet in July this year and the lucky dancers chosen for the show heard they had been accepted on the day.

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As well as the youngsters, the ballet will also star international principal dancers Monica Tapiador, Clair Corruble, Philip Tunstall, Julianne Rice-Oxley, Oliver Speers, Steven Wheeler and Brenden Bratulic and Brazilian principal dancer Samantha Camejo, who will be dancing the leading role of Cinderella.

Samantha, who has previously danced with the English National Ballet, is also training the young cast in rehearsals.

She said: “The young dancers are treated just like the professionals in the rehearsals with EYB.

“They discover what having a dance career might be like - both in the studio and on the stage. It is an amazing experience for them.”

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The young cast will rehearse for just 11 days for the production. During those days, EYB take over three of the biggest rooms in the school and run rehearsals simultaneously in each room.

At the end of each rehearsal day, the whole cast comes together in the largest space to share what has been learnt that day. The young dancers see the production taking shape like a big jigsaw.

Samantha added: “I enjoy meeting all the talented young dancers up and down the UK. I try to mentor and inspire the young dancers and help inform them about the profession.”

Along with Kye Hill, the dancers from the Horsham district starring in the show are Aimee Johnston, 17, from Ashington; Georgia Rixson, 15, from Faygate; Emily McGivern, 13, from Southwater; Amelia Newman, 14, from Cowfold; Abigail Mellor, 16, from Southwater; Amy Griffiths, 15, from Broadbridge Heath; Summer Avedissian, 15, from Southwater; Charlotte Coleman, 17, from Southwater; Ruby Fraser, 11, from Chiddingford; Laila Cronin, eight, from Thakeham; and Anya Hall, ten, from Upper Beeding.

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Cinderella in Hollywood will take place at The Hawth Theatre in Crawley on Friday November 9 at 7.30pm and Saturday November 10 at 2.30pm and 7.30pm.

For tickets, call 01293 553636 or visit www.parkwoodtheatres.co.uk/The-Hawth