On her toes for the ballet
FINALLY, after years of finetuning her dancing skills, Srishti Singh’s opportunity to find fame making her debut with the Royal New Zealand Ballet has arrived.
However, to the 9yearold’s dismay, there will be no pretty, glittery ballet tutus during her performance in Sleeping Beauty at the Regent Theatre on November 14 and 15, because she has been cast as a page boy.
‘‘It’s a bit embarrassing. I don’t like dressing up like boys.
‘‘They have all these pretty outfits, but I won’t get to wear one. Maybe when I get a bit older, I’ll get to choose my roles.’’
Despite her initial disappointment, Srishti said it was a great honour to be selected for the role.
‘‘It’s exciting and also quite nerveracking because I’ll be dancing with professionals.
‘‘It will be great to see what life as a professional is like, and I’ll learn lots by watching them.
‘‘I’m really looking forward to it.’’
She has spent more than an hour each day rehearsing her part and viewing footage of the ballet on her mother’s mobile phone.
Srishti said she had been dancing for more than five years, and hoped to become a professional ballet dancer when she grew up.
‘‘Either that, or a doctor — I’m not sure yet.
‘‘Maybe one day, I’ll get to play Sleeping Beauty.’’
Srishti is one of about 20 young ballet dancers from around Otago who were selected to perform with the
Royal New Zealand Ballet.
Bennett School of Ballet and Jazz teacher Meredith Walker, of Dunedin, has been employed by the ballet company to bring the young dancers up to speed in their various roles.
She said there were three different groups of dancers — the Lilac attendants, the Garland dancers, and the pages who lead the princes to Princess Aurora.
The dancers were at the King Edward Court building yesterday, rehearsing their parts for the ballet, and in the days leading up to the performances, they would rehearse with the ballet company in the theatre, she said.