Ellie attended Newcastle Ballet Theatre for a week in a January.

From the first moment you walk through the doors into a beautiful dance studio you are greeted by all staff with the most welcoming hospitality. They have great facilities.

The week involved us learning ballet, contemporary and Pilates skills and then performing a variation and contemporary dance to our parents on the last day.

Learning Pas de Deux was a something I hadn’t experienced before and was given this opportunity during the week.

It was an experience I won’t forget learning from new teachers with such amazing talent however it was made all the better attending with my Colour City dance friends.

Thank you Newcastle Ballet Theatre and Dubbo Eisteddfod for this amazing opportunity..

Attending the Newcastle Ballet Theatre summer school was an amazing immersive experience in full-time dance training. The program was really well structured, all of the classes were run by professional teachers who challenged us to improve our dancing skills. We had the honour of being taught by not only Ms Kristy and Mr Ryder but also Sharni Spencer, principal artist of the Australian Ballet. It was very inspiring to experience firsthand what class would be like in attending a full-time school. The studio and staff fostered an inclusive encouraging environment where everyone felt comfortable trying their hardest. I personally really enjoyed getting to know the other people and being able to share the space in our exercises and performance. I feel I gained a lot of valuable experience from the program, and feel very honoured to have been given this opportunity.

“My time at Newcastle Ballet Theatre was a wonderful experience, It was great to spend the week with such amazing teachers and experience what it is like to attend a full week of training. Can’t wait to go back!”