The Opera House Manchester hosts the English National Ballet and English National Ballet School’s My First Ballet series in April. The show gives young audiences a chance to see Swan Lake.
Created especially for children as young as three and adapted to an hour in length with a narrator to help young audiences follow the story, My First Ballet: Swan Lake is the perfect introduction to the magic of ballet. Featuring choreography by Antonio Castilla, English National Ballet’s Ballet Master and Repetiteur, and Dramaturgy by Lou Cope, this new version follows the familiar story of Swan Lake, but told from a different point of view.
Harvey Littlefield and Beatriz Kuperus as Prince Siegfried and Odile in My First Ballet Swan Lake image courtesy ASH
Speaking about bringing a new version of Swan Lake to audiences at Manchester’s Opera House, Antonio Castilla, Choreographer of My First Ballet: Swan Lake, commented: “I’m very excited to be working on this project and to be charged with telling our young audiences this wonderful story. In this new version of My First Ballet: Swan Lake, we have put the focus on Odile, rather than Odette, with the narrative following her journey and the difficult decision she must make, allowing us to explore important themes of friendship, forgiveness and honesty.”
Previous shows in the My First Ballet series have included Cinderella, Coppelia and Sleeping Beauty and have been enjoyed by more than 250,000 people since their launch in 2012. The My First Ballet series is performed by students of English National Ballet School, providing them with valuable rehearsal and performance experience within a professional touring company.
English National Ballet School students in My First Ballet Swan Lake image courtesy ASH
To coincide with My First Ballet: Swan Lake, English National Ballet will host on-stage creative dance workshops, aimed to provide a gateway into the world of ballet. Children and their parents/ guardians will have the opportunity to learn extracts from the production with English National Ballet dance artists and get up close to costumes and scenery. Further information is available at the English National Ballet My First Ballet website.
When is My First Ballet: Swan Lake performed at Manchester Opera House?
There are five performances of My First Ballet: Swan Lake across 28 and 29 April at the Opera House Manchester:
28 April – 11.00am | 2.00pm | 5.00pm
29 April – 11.00am | 3.00pm
Tickets are priced from £13.40
images courtesy ASH
