For the first time in its 67 year history, West Australian Ballet has created a Children’s Ballet specifically aimed at three to six year olds. Peter and the Wolf will feature at October’s AWESOME Arts Festival held in the Perth Cultural Centre.
Commissioned by West Australian Ballet Artistic Director Aurélien Scannella, the State Ballet Company will perform six free shows of the 35 minute work which has been made in collaboration with the AWESOME Arts Festival, Perth Symphony Orchestra and choreographed by WAAPA Dance Lecturer and former dancer Andries Weidemann.
“Peter and the Wolf is a perfect first ballet for those not yet big enough to sit through a full show the theatre,” says Scannella, “Andries Weidemann’s endearing choreography will be great showcase of our talented Young Artists and Corps de Ballet”.
The story, originally created in 1936 by Sergei Prokofiev as a ‘symphonic fairy tale for children’, has been adapted with West Australian Ballet’s Young Artists and Corps de Ballet bringing the orchestral story to life.
The fairy tale features Peter, a young boy who lives with his Grandmother, and his journey with his animal friends, including a Bird, Duck and Cat. As his Grandmother’s warns him about wolves in the meadow, Peter ventures out of the gate and is confronted by the wolf. What ensues next will captivate the audience.
With Sets and Costumes designed by recent WAAPA Design Graduate Maeli Cherel, and West Australian Ballet’s Head of Music, Michael Brett, arranging the score and conducting Perth Symphony Orchestra, Peter and the Wolf has been made with the Western Australian arts industry at the forefront.
“Peter and the Wolf will be the first in a series of story book ballets and an important strategic initiative for WAB. These ballets will develop our younger audience, as well as provide career pathways and work opportunities for West Australian creative artistis to ultimately help to retain West Australian talent within this state,” said Jessica Machin, Executive Director of West Australian Ballet.
“For most children this will be their first encounter with the performing arts, and in particular, the ballet art-form and it’s important that this experience is of high quality and accessible to everyone”.
“West Australian Ballet’s proposal to create a series of works for younger audiences that can be presented at festivals and community events is a phenomenal initiative. As Western Australia’s premier event for families it is absolutely appropriate that the AWESOME Festival be used as a platform to create maximum access and exposure to beautiful and high quality ballet for families,” said Jenny Simpson, AWESOME Arts Festival Artistic Director/CEO.
The presentation of this newly created work was made possible by Principal Partner Woodside, Supporting Partners Minderoo Foundation and Feilman Foundation, and Government Partners, the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, and the Australia Council for the Arts.
Directly after each of the six performances, West Australian Ballet’s Teaching Artists will hold free dance activities, teaching movements from Peter and the Wolf, for children to enjoy the physicality and fun that dance has to offer.
Peter and the Wolf will be at the AWESOME Arts Festival in the Perth Cultural Centre on 5th, 7th – 11th October. For more information head to waballet.com.au
Source:- Media release
