ÔDance stars of the futureÕ stage Christmas special at Town Hall

Date Published: 29-Nov-2012

Dance fans in Galway will get a double helping of festive fun on December 15 and 16 as Youth Ballet West takes to the stage of the Town Hall Theatre.

The company will premiere its fabulous new ballet Upbeat & Classical, set to music of the Big Band jazz era. Choreographed by Kilian O’Callaghan, a former principal dancer with Royal New Zealand Ballet and West Australian Ballet Company, this piece celebrates the great rhythms and timeless melodies of Glenn Miller.

Audiences will also be treated to Alice Underground, an exciting, modern interpretation of Lewis Carroll’s classic tales, Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Pirouetting parrots, dancing ducks, flouncing flowers and a very Mad Hatter will feature in this adaptation, which was conceived and choreographed by Claire Lillis and Judith Sibley. That piece received a great response when it premiered during the Volvo Ocean Race festival in July.

Youth Ballet West was founded five years ago by Judith Sibley and her sister Phyllis Hayes and features 25 of Ireland’s most talented young dancers from Galway, Ennis, Athlone and Roscommon, explains Judith, who is the company’s Artistic Director.

“This pioneering young ballet company is unrivalled in the West of Ireland in its excellence and this is a great opportunity to see the dance stars of the future in a magical double bill,” she adds. Judith, who is one of Ireland’s leading ballet artists, is not exaggerating, as Youth Ballet West has already had many former members accepted into top dance schools in the UK and mainland Europe.

The company’s double bill promises to be an entertainment highlight of the Christmas season, with spectacular costumes and lighting special effects, imaginative choreography, fabulous costumes and award-winning dancers.

Tickets for the shows on Saturday, December 15 and Sunday, December 16 are€16/12 with a family ticket (for four) costing €50. Booking at tht.ie, by phone on 091-569777 or at the Box Office.