The Battle of The Flower Kingdom
The Battle of the Flower Kingdom
Charlestown School
A dedicated troupe of young pupils from Charlestown school captivated family and friends with a very special end of term Easter ballet performance.
The show was led by Erin Potter and Saffron Tyler, both aged 11 years, with their little group of 13 trainee ballerinas having rehearsed after school for several weeks. Choreographed by Erin and Saffron, the young dancers told a tale of good overcoming evil in the Fairy Kingdom. At 15 minutes long the dance was a fairly short piece, but the intimate audience were delighted to witness this charming work. Saffron and Erin had clearly put a lot of thought into the movements and story and were extremely proud of their young protégées.
But this performance wasn’t just about dance, it was a perfect example of young children working together as a team, and presenting something that was all theirs. With no adult input, the youngsters designed their costumes with the good fairies wearing delicate pastel shades while the evil one sported a gothic purple number and the girls’ choice of music perfectly reflected both the light and dark elements of the story. The younger dancers designed the programmes, with prizes being awarded by Erin and Saffron for the best artwork. So professional was this show, that 2 helpers were positioned at the door to check tickets and guide guests to the auditorium. Following the performance, the young choreographers thanked their troupe and shared a chocolate lucky dip with everyone, careful not to forget their door ladies and Mrs. Whitehouse who had given her time to chaperone rehearsals and drink tea!
To add a final touch of professionalism to the afternoon, the smallest members of the chorus delighted and surprised Saffron and Erin by presenting them both with a small bouquet.
A delightful performance to end the school term and say goodbye to Winter and a round of applause to Charlestown School for giving their young pupils the freedom to present this super show.
Sheila Vanloo
April 2010