By REBECCA DIXON

Published at 09:42, Friday, 02 July 2010

ASPIRING dancers from Tynedale were given the opportunity to train with the professionals at the weekend, when Ballet Central came to Hexham.

The town has become a regular stopping off point for the company, which is made up of final year students from the prestigious Central School of Ballet in London.

But these dancers don’t just perform for the local audience.

Part of the Ballet Central tour and the training of its young professionals includes a series of workshops held in the theatres they visit.

And that's how 20 local students were given the opportunity to train with the company's ballet master, before learning an extract from the tour's repertoire.

This year’s class in Hexham took place on the Queen’s Hall stage and students were put through their paces in a classical ballet session with artistic director William Glassman.

The session was typical of the daily class most professional dancers take and gave the local dancers a flavour of the type of training they could expect at ballet school.

At the barre, dancers were asked to perform exercises including traditional plies, tendus and grand battements, all designed to warm up and stretch the vital muscle groups used in dance.

A number of classical exercises followed before Ballet Central’s own dancers were asked to join the youngsters.

Six dancers from the company each took small groups and taught a section of Dances from a Knot Garden, an English ballet inspired by the patterns of a Victorian knot garden.

Ballet Central performer Natalie O’Brien said: “My groups picked up the dance really quickly so it was very rewarding to see them doing it so well and up to tempo.

“The sessions can be quite a challenge at times and it takes a while to adjust to being the teacher rather than the dancer, but they really prepare you for what it will be like teaching students.

“The workshops are a big part of our tour and our learning experience, and it is a great opportunity for young local dancers to work with a professional; it often inspires them to take dance further in their own lives.”

Two local dancers from the Philips-Cain School of Dance were lucky enough to secure places for the Hexham workshop.

Siblings Jocasta and Jacob Hornsey both dance under the tutelage of Sarah Laurie in Hexham and were delighted to get the opportunity to dance with the professionals.

Twelve-year-old Jacob is currently a Royal Academy of Dance grade four student. He said: “The class was quite difficult but I really enjoyed it, especially learning the Knot Garden dance.

“I was the only boy at the workshop, which was a bit disappointing and I think more boys should do ballet.”

Older sister Jocasta is no stranger to professional workshops, having taken part in the Ballet Central day last year.

The 13-year-old said: “The workshops are a wonderful opportunity and it’s so inspirational when you see the professional dancers.

“They are so good but so young that you realise how achievable it all is.”

With aspirations to take her classical training to a professional level, Jocasta relished the opportunity to perform on stage.

She said: “When you start dancing it’s important to learn and perfect all the steps.

“But when you get to ballet school you are able to express yourself more and really perform pieces.

“I loved learning the piece from the Knot Garden; it was nice to so something contemporary.

“I have done a little bit of this before but not much.

Having learned a section of the dance, and seen how it works, made it even more interesting to watch during the matinee performance later on.”

Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk