Preview: Angelina's Star Performance

May 3 2008 by Matt Thomas, Western Mail

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff

AFTER starring in more than 20 books over the last 15 years, the little mouse with big dreams finally gets to take centre stage.

The English National Ballet is bringing their live performance of Angelina Ballerina to the Wales Millennium Centre on Bank Holiday Monday.

Drawing on the story of the balletic mouse’s visit to the Mouseland Palace to dance Sleeping Beauty for Queen Seraphina, Angelina’s Star Performance is the first live outing for the rodent prima ballerina.

Angelina first pirouetted into children’s imaginations in 1983, with the first book from American-born writer Katharine Holabird and London-based illustrator Helen Craig.

The stories are based on Holabird’s experiences of life as a nursery school teacher and mother of two young daughters. “Although Angelina is a mouseling, she thinks and feels just like a little child,” she said.

Featuring a cast of mice, including the ballet-obsessed Angelina and her friends, the books follow the adventures of the budding star as she travels through Mouseland, learning about ballet and life.

An animated television series, featuring the voice of Dame Judi Dench, followed and the entire series of 21 books has recently been reissued in the United States.

A nine-strong troupe of ENB dancers have taken on the challenge of bringing the books to the stage, under the direction of veteran choreographer Antony Dowson.

Even though the performance is reasonably short, running at one hour and 20 minutes, making it ideal for younger children, it includes all the plies, pas des deux and grand jetes that you would expect to find in a full-length ballet.

The dancers are drawn from the 67 members of the ENB’s main company. The ENB is committed to developing appreciation for dance as well as maintaining the classical repertoire.

Adding to the authenticity of the experience, Angelina’s Star Performance features music from Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty. This production offers an introduction to ballet and the theatre for children as young as three, as well as the chance for them to see their heroine performing on the stage.

Angelina’s will be giving her star performance three times a day on May 5 and 6.

For tickets call 08700 40 2000