The final call for auditions for the first diploma course of the Malta Youth Ballet Foundation is now open. These auditions will take place on Sunday, the 22nd of April.
The aim of the Foundation is to make a dancing career a reality for Maltese dance students with the support and collaboration of all those involved in this field, be it dance school teachers, main stream educators, university, government, parents etc.
The current situation in Malta is such that many parents believe that ballet and other dance forms are a good option for extracurricular activities and they readily enroll their children from quite a young age.
Throughout these formative years, parents commit to taking their children to lessons and are willing to support this activity financially. Malta has a number of quality ballet schools to support this interest and those with a talent for dance enjoy the training.
There are some talented dancers who do consider focusing on dance as their main career but are often deterred by the various obstacles they are faced with. They are required to travel to another country at quite a young age and their parents must be willing to support them financially with substantial fees and living costs.
Another important consideration is that locally, ballet and other dance forms are not as yet considered in terms of offering a career which can support the students throughout their working life. This is likely due to the fact that there is currently no full-time training available on the island.
The Foundation hopes to change this scenario. It operates as a non-profit organisation which will invest in young, promising dancers, offering a two year professional dance course to talented dance students wishing to train on a professional level.
The faculty members of the Foundation, namely Johane Casabene, Etoile danseurs, Donatien Ravet and Anne-Laure Gosselin, Alison Bird and Francesca Tranter, have designed a very attractive course which satisfies all the technical requirements for a Level 5 Diploma in Professional Dance.
All students who qualify with this diploma will then be eligible to work in a professional dance company. It will also set them in good stead for a university degree and a successful career in the field of dance.
With the support of the INVEX scheme and the Janatha Stubbs Fund, the Malta Youth Ballet Foundation’s first diploma course in professional dance, will commence in September 2012.
For further information, kindly refer to www.maltayouthballet.com [1] or email on info@casabene.com [2].
Photographs are of Brenda Lee Grech who is currently working with the Scottish Ballet Company.