Wirral dancers chosen for English Youth Ballet production

Oct 17 2012

The girls from Wirral were chosen for the production at auditions in June

THE dreams of seven of the region’s top young dancers have come true.  The talented young dancers were selected at an audition in June from over 200 young hopefuls.

Hannah Boyle, Aisha Stalker, Lucy Howard, Kayla Jones, Yasmeen Alam, Emma Jackson, and Eleanor Boyle will appear in the charming story ballet of Coppelia at the Southport Theatre and Convention Centre, for three performances from November 9-10 2012.

The young dancers in the cast will dance alongside EYB’s stunning international principal artists in a professional production.  They will experience the life of a professional ballet dancer - working at the Greenbank High School in a ten-day intensive rehearsal process.

Aisha Stalker (pictured) is 16 and lives in New Brighton.  She goes to Wirral Grammar School for Girls and is training at the Hylton Bromley School of Theatre Dance.  Aisha is not just a very talented dancer – she is also top of her class at school.  Recently she got her GCSE results and achieved 11 A*s.  I spoke to her about her dancing and plans for the future:

“I started dancing when I was about two – I think.  I’ve done it ever since and never looked back.  In Coppelia I am cast as one of Swanhilda’s Friends which is quite a big part. I am not sure what I want to do when I am older yet.  I am really interested in Science but I would really love to dance too.

"I am really looking forward to the experience of being on stage with English Youth Ballet as I haven’t had much stage experience and it will help me – especially if I do want to go into a career in dance.”

What follows for the young cast is an intensive 10-day rehearsal period where they will experience the life of a professional dancer and be coached and mentored by EYB’s international principal artists who will play the leading roles in the ballet.

Company Manager, Ben Garner, says: “Working with English Youth Ballet will most probably be the highlight of these talented young dancer’s careers, to date.  The audiences watching EYB are in for a unique and exciting experience too.  They will be seeing both top international principal artists and the best up-and-coming young talent – sharing the stage.”