Four Farlington pupils (Leah Constantine, Tara Williams, Summer Raemason and Orla Ridpath) and Amy Marsh from Hurst who all dance at the De Braam Ballet academy at Farlington School were invited to attend a workshop with ballet mistress Emily Hufton and the cast of the renowned Vienna Festival Ballet at the Capitol Theatre in Horsham on Tuesday 12th March.
The girls rehearsed with the company onstage and learnt their parts which they went on to perform later that evening in front of a live audience. The company were very friendly and helpful – Coppelia was unfamiliar to some of the girls, so it was a credit to them that they learnt their individual dance sequences so quickly and performed them so professionally.
They played dolls in the mysterious workshop of the Dr Coppelius, the eccentric inventor of the lifelike doll Coppelia. As dolls the girls had no idea how long they would have to keep absolutely still for so long and then spring into life performing their dance when ‘wound up’ by the girls from the village.
Natalie van de Braam had been busy sourcing costumes to ensure that the girls looked the part and they all looked extremely professional in their costumes and stage make up. It was an incredible experience for the girls with all the hard work leading up to the performance and then being part of a live ballet with an international cast.
Peter Mallek, the director, was thrilled with how the girls rose to the occasion and said that they were a credit to the De Braam Ballet academy at Farlington School.
In turn the girls were thrilled to be included in the final curtain call.