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Swan Lake will showcase the talents of 99 young dancers from Oxfordshire

SWAN LAKE – New Theatre Oxford Fri 16 – Sat 17 June 2023. There will be 3 performances of EYB’s electrifying Swan Lake. The lavish production will star 6 international principal dancers and showcase the talents of 99 young dancers from the local area. EYB’s emotionally charged production of Swan Lake is set in 1895 Imperial Russia and tells of love, rivalry, greed and murder. The action takes place in the Mariinsky Theatre - where the Mariinsky Ballet are preparing for a production of Swan Lake - and the sumptuous Royal Palace of the Tsar. Two unlikely lovers meet Odette, a dancer with the Mariinsky Ballet and Prince Sergei, son to the Tsar. The Tsar must ensure that Prince Sergei does not marry beneath his station. Equally, the tyrannical Baron Von Rothbart would do anything to secure a royal patronage for his ballet company. He would even manipulate his own daughter – Odile – to compete for the affections of the Prince. Tickets can be bought at the Box Office or at www.atgtickets.com/oxford The Audition The cast were selected in big auditions online auditions at the New Theatre back in March. Nearly 200 young dancers auditioned for the opportunity. The Rehearsals The young cast will rehearse for 60 hours over 10 days of rehearsals at weekends. The rehearsals take place at Cherwell School. At rehearsals, the dancers experience the working life of a professional dancer. EYB take over 3 large rehearsal spaces in the school that are used simultaneously. Rehearsals always start with 3 company classes for the dancers to warm-up. The dancers need to keep an eye on the complex rehearsal timetable throughout the day. Quote from Janet Lewis MBE (EYB Director) “The cast have show great enthusiasm and excitement in their rehearsals. The children are obviously so pleased to be back dancing again and taking part in a ballet that they love. Since the past year of Lockdowns with the many restrictions, they are displaying a sense of freedom that is boosting their self-confidence and wellbeing. The cast are working hard not only on their ballet technique but on their performance quality that expresses the part they are dancing. The incentive is to be back performing again in the theatre.” Award-winning English Youth Ballet EYB is now in it’s 25th Anniversary year. The company previously won The Stage Award for special achievement in regional theatre. The opportunity to watch EYB is a unique experience. Sell-out audiences are treated to beautiful international principal artists sharing the stage with the top up-and-coming young talent from the local area. EYB’s large cast ensures the ballet is performed with the scale and grandeur which was originally intended. EYB principal dancers are of the highest calibre and have joined EYB from companies such as English National Ballet and Vienna Festival Ballet. The young dancers are some of the top talents from the local area. There are now ex-EYB young performers in some of the world’s best companies – including the Royal Ballet