TWO girls are to dance in a production of Swan Lake after being selected in competitive auditions.
Katie Ingram, 12, of Hill Road, Watlington, and Emelia Wilson, eight, from Benson, were chosen to be part of the cast of English Youth Ballet’s production of the famous ballet in March.
They were among nearly 200 dancers who auditioned for roles at the New Theatre in Oxford, which is where the show will take place next Friday and Saturday, June 16 and 17.
In the run-up, the girls have gone through more than 60 hours of rehearsals in 10 days at Cherwell School in Oxford.
Principal dancer Lyndsey Fraser, who will star as Odile, the Black Swan, taught some of the classes during the rehearsals.
Katie, who is in year 7 at Icknield Community College in Watlington, said being in the show was an “amazing opportunity”.
She said: “I’ve been dancing almost all my life. I started when I was three and originally did ballet and modern but I prefer ballet. I like the music and think ballet shows are really beautiful.
“Swan Lake is probably my favourite so it is really exciting to know that I will be in my favourite ballet.
“We did the audition in March and I think there were about 100 people in the class I was in. Half of them were selected and from there we went to the start of rehearsals.
“They told us the schedule we would be doing and did casting, where I was chosen as a ‘lady in waiting’, which I am very happy with.
“I am doing two main dances and am part of a few other ones. All the teachers are really good and they help you along if you don’t get it.”
She said she was nervous about performing but added: “I know it will all work out in the end.”
Katie is part of Performanze Dance group in Watlington and has taken part in shows at the Kenton Theatre in Henley and the O2 Arena in South London.
She said: “I think my favourite part of the process has been meeting so many people with the same interests as me and watching the younger ones because I thought of how I was there once.
“Lyndsey Fraser taught us some dances. She was very nice and it was really good to have one of the main dancers teach us because they know it very well.
“I have also made a few friends. After the show, I might celebrate with family and a few friends before practising for a show at the Kenton Theatre the following weekend.”
She also wants to try out as a dancer when the auditions open at the Wycombe Swan for its Christmas pantomime.
Emelia, who lives in RAF Benson and attends Ewelme Primary School, said she was pleased to have been selected and was excited about performing.
She is a member of Kinecroft Academy of Dance in Wallingford and has been dancing for four years. She applied for the ballet after seeing a poster advertising the open auditions at her dance school.
Emelia said: “I do lots of different dance genres but my favourite is ballet as we get to do really cool things and it is soft, whereas in tap, you do loud things.
“I decided to audition for Swan Lake to have more experience of ballet so it is good.
“The teachers are very kind. I am not really nervous for the performances, I am more excited.
“I play a ‘niece’. The rehearsals have been fun and I have made good friends. It’s busy but not really tiring.”
Her mother, Rebecca, said Emelia had been spurred on to audition for more shows following her success.
She added: “She asked me if she could audition for it. This is the first time she has done anything like that, so I took her along just to see. I am really proud of her.”
To buy tickets, visit www.atgtickets.com/oxford