Young ballet dancers step out in style at Corran Halls

Taynuilt-based Ballet West took to the stage at the Corran Halls last week with a stunning performance of Giselle ou les Wilis. More than 100 students, together with outreach pupils, showcased the production on Thursday and wowed audiences.

MORE than 100 dancers from Taynuilt’s Ballet West took to the stage in the Corran Halls last week when they performed Giselle ou les Wilis.

Students, together with outreach pupils, showcased the production last Thursday.

Gillian Barton, Ballet West’s principal says: ‘For students on HND and degree courses, our popular annual tours provide invaluable experience in performing for audiences in many different venues across Scotland. It is an essential element of their training as dance artists of the future.

‘Our classical ballet tours provide a wonderful opportunity for students to dance alongside experienced professional dancers. The high artistic standards achieved in our productions never fail to attract appreciative audiences of all ages.’

Giselle is described as a ballet-pantomime. It was first performed in Paris in 1841.

Daniel F Job’s choreography for Ballet West is based on the revivals of Marius Petipa.

Kate Little, from Oban was among the cast of dancers. Kate is now a second-year student on the BA Hons degree course, having started out on Ballet West’s Outreach programme.

Sharing the lead role of Giselle were Natasha Watson and Uyu Hiromoto.

The Giselle eight-stop tour will finish this Saturday in Edinburgh’s EICC, but not before the ballet school has performed in Inverness’s Edin Court Theatre tonight (Thursday).