IF THE SLIPPER FITS
Glass slippers, mischievous stepsisters and a little theatrical magic heads to the stage, as some of Darwin’s youngest dancers join seasoned performers to bring a much-loved fairytale to life.
WORDS BROOKE GIBBS
IMAGE DEBORAH CLEVERLY
LEISA'S SCHOOL OF Dancing and Alice Springs’ Duprada Dance Company join forces to sweep audiences into the magical world of Cinderella, presented as the grand finale of an annual theatre performance celebrating dancers of all ages.
Speaking of magic, this collaboration sees Leisa Jackson work with Duprada’s owner, Lynne Hanton, who just so happens to be her mother, from where the inspiration to start Leisa’s School of Dancing was born.
The triple bill begins with Petit Défilé, giving the school’s youngest performers their moment in the spotlight alongside Duprada Dance Company dancers, before three new contemporary works choreographed by Jackson showcase another side of the school’s training. The evening culminates in Cinderella, set to Sergei Prokofiev’s celebrated score.
For Jackson, the enduring fairytale offers the perfect opportunity to introduce young dancers to the art of performing a story.
“Cinderella is a familiar story and translates into dance well, giving the opportunity to create roles for children,” she says.
This isn’t the school’s first trip to the Palace Ball, but each production has evolved with its dancers.
“The three stagings are very different. In the first, we had no small children, just our Company dancers. The next included our seven-plus students and Company, and now our youngest are bringing some magic to the story.”
And there’s plenty more to ballet than remembering the steps. Without dialogue to rely on, the performers must tell Cinderella’s story through movement, expression and mime.
“There is a good deal of acting still required while dancing. The conversations are mimed instead of spoken, and the dance steps relate to the expression trying to be portrayed, so the physical dancing should help you feel something about the story being conveyed.”
For the younger dancers, learning to communicate without speaking brings benefits extending beyond the stage.
“Young dancers are learning the art of storytelling with no words and, hopefully, through the workshopping of the story into mime, they gain confidence in conversation.”
But it’s the littlest performers who have a habit of capturing Jackson’s heart – and the audience.
“My heart always melts a little when our youngest grace the stage. They steal the show every time just being themselves, which is all that is expected of them,” she says.
“It’s about the whole experience, from walking into the theatre and seeing the stage, the auditorium, the lights and backdrops, to their teachers and the big girls and boys dancing. When they skip out onto the stage smiling and waving, feeling all the magical things the theatre brings, then bounce off saying how much fun they had, is what it’s all about.”
Joining the Darwin dancers are Isaac and Gypsy, two performers with connections to Alice Springs. Isaac began dancing there at a young age and returned to performing after university, while Gypsy previously trained in Darwin before undertaking professional studies in Alice Springs.
“Isaac is a very charismatic performer and loves being on stage. As a former teacher in Alice Springs, he is also very good with the children,” Jackson says.
“Gypsy, meanwhile, returns to Darwin for her second performance with the school. She is stunning to watch on stage no matter the role and amazing with the dancers backstage too.”
The performance follows a big year for Duprada Dance Company who brought Swan Lake to Darwin and Alice Springs. Now, they return home to celebrate everything from contemporary movement to classical ballet – with a pumpkin carriage, glass slipper and a few scene-stealing youngsters along for the ride.
Leisa's School of Dancing ‑ Cinderella
WHEN SAT 7 NOV | 6.30PM
AT AANT CENTRE
COST $22-$42
INFO yourcentre.com.au
