The Australian Ballet Announces New Programme for Children

The Australian Ballet announces Storytime Ballet, an exciting new program designed specifically for children with The Sleeping Beauty, the first in the series, opening in Melbourne and Sydney this December holiday season

The Australian Ballet is thrilled to announce its inaugural ballet series created specifically for children. In response to growing demand, the Company has created a brand new production of one of the world's most beloved fairytale ballets. The Sleeping Beauty will be the first production in its new Storytime Ballet series. Supported by Principal Partner Telstra, the production will tour nationally to introduce children across the country to the enchanting world of ballet.

Designed for children aged three years old and up, the Ballet has had young people in mind at every point of the artistic process. Live and interactive, the production will be under an hour in length and performed by dancers from The Australian Ballet. Children will have the opportunity to learn about ballet in engaging pre-show activities and will be encouraged to dress up in their favourite ballet-inspired outfits.

The Storytime Ballet: The Sleeping Beauty tour opens in Melbourne, Sydney and Chatswood in December. Its 2016 touring schedule will include performances in Wollongong, Penrith, Canberra, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Caloundra and Logan, during school holiday periods with approximately 80 shows to be presented across four states. Further dates and venues will be announced in late November 2015.

The Australian Ballet's Executive Director Libby Christie, said the project was created in response to the overwhelming popularity of the Company's programs for children. 'In recent years, we have been amazed by the growing appetite among younger ballet participants. Over 420,000 children participate in dance activities across Australia every week,' said Ms Christie.

'As Australia's national ballet company, we are committed to providing creative experiences and programs to inspire young imaginations. This will be the first time the Company has toured a children-focused offering of this scale and quality. We hope to nurture our next generation of ballet lovers and who knows, even Principal Artists. We are delighted that our Principal Partner Telstra will also be the Principal Partner of Storytime Ballet to support our vision for children's programming.'

Telstra Group General Counsel, Carmel Mulhern said Telstra is proud of its partnership with The Australian Ballet and is delighted to offer Telstra customers an exclusive pre-sale through Telstra THANKS before the tickets go on sale to the general public. 'For 31 years, our partnership has been centred on creating innovative ways to bring brilliant ballet experiences to new audiences,' said Ms Mulhern. 'Storytime Ballet is our latest and most exciting collaboration to date, and we can't wait to connect new generations with the magic of ballet.'

The Sleeping Beauty will be a visually spectacular experience for children. Children will follow the well-known story of a sleeping princess and a prince searching for his true love. They will watch as Princess Aurora wanders the woods and meets her friends Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and the Big Bad Wolf. The large-scale, elegant production will be packed with dazzling dancing, sparkling tutus and enchanting Tchaikovsky music. This is the perfect first ballet for children.

Sure to be a family festive season favourite, this is an experience children won't forget. Expect the steps to continue and little ones to be dancing down the hallway with almost-perfect pirouettes, long after the curtain comes down.