Charlesworth Ballet School proudly presents Birds of a Feather, a heart-warming production filled with enchanting dance, music and colour! This exciting production showcases students from our extension programs such as Extension Ballet, Contemporary, Musical Theatre and Spanish Dance. Joining Charlesworth Ballet students today are guests from Youth Ballet WA’s pre-professional programme.
ACT ONE
PARROTS
The opening piece is inspired by Marius Petipa’s ‘Waltz of the Parrots’ from the ballet, La Bayadère. See some of the students from our Grade 1 and 2, and Seniors extension program fly across the stage as baby and mother parrots.
Choreographed by Tamice Puckridge, Paige Puckridge and Jaimie Ford.
GULNARA
Performing Gulnara is Youth Ballet WA graduate student, Holly Jarvis. Gulnara is a classical solo from the ballet Le Corsaire which tells the story of a pirate named Conrad and how he comes to meet and fall in love with a slave girl, Medora.
WINGS
Wings has been choreographed by both Una Minello and the contemporary students themselves. This dynamic piece explores the ways in which the movement of wings and feathers are present in our world, with students taking inspiration from winged creatures in their day-to-day life.
SWANS
Students from our Grade 5 to Seniors extension program take to the stage in this beautiful piece inspired by Youth Ballet WA’s adaptation of Swan Lake. Whilst depicting the beauty and elegance of swans, this creation explores the theme of rivalry.
An enchanting piece choreographed and staged by Jaimie Ford and Paige Puckridge.
ACT TWO
FLAMINGOS
Choreographed by Una Minello, Pink Flamingos is performed by the Grade 2 to 6 Spanish students. The students use Spanish fans to mimic the movement of feathers, incorporating footwork and Palmas to imitate flamingos resting gracefully on the surface of a lake.
TREPAK
Guest students from Youth Ballet WA perform the folk dance Trepak, a well-known piece from the Christmas ballet, The Nutcracker. This exciting piece was staged by Youth Ballet WA’s Classical Ballet expert, Liam Blair.
PENGUINS
Ain’t it a glorious day? Right as a mornin’ in May! Join our Musical Theatre students as they take you on a Jolly Holiday!
Choreography by Andrea Ponga-Morgan with special guests from the Youth Ballet programme.
WOODPECKERS
Youth Ballet WA students from the full-time program feature in this piece inspired by the woodpecker. The students and Lynn Martlew have created a dance whilst experimenting with the sounds of the cajon, a Spanish percussionist box. The repetitive banging sounds echo the noises a woodpecker makes whilst pecking at trees.
BLUEBIRDS
Bluebird and Princess Florine from enchanting Sleeping Beauty ballet inspired this piece. See some of our Grade 3 and 4 students dance playfully and gracefully to the music of Princess Florine’s solo.
Choreographed by Paige Puckridge and Tamice Puckridge.
BROLGA
This beautiful dance is choreographed by Youth Ballet WA’s Contemporary expert, Sharon Dalla-Costa, and adapted by Jaimie Ford. Our Grade 5 to Senior students perform in this piece which portrays the brolga, a native Australian Crane. The choreography explores the brolga’s elaborate display of courtship which often looks like dancing, as well as its graceful movement and flight patterns.
FINALE
To close, our students come together to dance to Happy Feet’s Boogie Wonderland, in celebration of all their hard work.
