Young dancers are invited to audition on Jan. 10 for various parts in the April 24 Eisenhower Auditorium presentation of Hong Kong Ballet’s “Alice (in wonderland).” Parts to be filled include Little Doors, Baby Flamingos, Cute Piglets, Daisies, Junior Cards, Sandwich Cards and Hedgehogs. Dancer Venus Villa, center, and Hong Kong Ballet dancers portray a scene from the production.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Young dancers are encouraged to audition on Friday, Jan. 10, for roles in Hong Kong Ballet’s performance of “Alice (in wonderland)” coming Friday, April 24, to Eisenhower Auditorium.
Auditions, which will take place 4 to 9 p.m. at Eisenhower Auditorium, are open to children ages 7–14. Children must be registered to audition, and one adult must accompany each dancer. Standard ballet attire is required. Students with experience might be asked to dance en pointe. Audition participants should enter the auditorium via the rear-building loading dock door.
To register and get details, contact Medora Ebersole, Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State education and community programs manager, at [email protected].
“The Center for the Performing Arts is so excited to be able to offer a rare opportunity to our local youth. Through an audition process, 54 children will be chosen to dance with the world-renowned Hong Kong Ballet in roles such as hedgehogs, daisies and playing cards,” said Amy Dupain Vashaw, Center for the Performing Arts audience and program development director. “It’s not often that we can offer such a special opportunity to local children. Performing on the Eisenhower Auditorium stage is an amazing opportunity, and to perform a role in the totally spectacular, contemporary reimagining of ‘Alice (in wonderland)’ will be an unforgettable experience for the chosen children.”
Other parts to be filled include Little Doors, Baby Flamingos, Cute Piglets, Junior Cards and Sandwich Cards.
All dancers cast in the production must report to mandatory rehearsals Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 11 and 12. The Jan. 11 rehearsals will be long. Subsequent required rehearsals will take place on Sundays Feb. 23; March 1, 15 and 22; and April 5 and 19. Rehearsal times and locations will be determined.
Students are encouraged to attend a free one-hour workshop at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 5, in Eisenhower to familiarize themselves with the audition process. Dancers will be guided through an exercise to simulate an audition and will have an opportunity to ask questions about the process. Workshop attendees should arrive by 1:30 p.m. and enter Eisenhower through the loading dock door.
Parking for the Jan. 5 workshop and Jan. 10 auditions will be available in the East and HUB parking decks on the University Park campus. Each is about a 10-minute walk to the auditorium. Only Penn State parking permit holders may park in the Eisenhower Parking Deck. Permit holders will not be charged for parking.
Hong Kong Ballet Artistic Director Septime Webre created “Alice (in wonderland).” The production features sleek and chic costumes, bold sets and an original score. The giddy, over-the-top reimagining of Lewis Carroll’s timeless tale promises fun for all ages.
Hong Kong Ballet, founded in 1979, is one of the premier ballet companies in Asia. The company includes almost 50 dancers from Asia, Australia, Europe and the United States. Webre, former artistic director of The Washington Ballet, joined Hong Kong Ballet in 2017.
Visit Center for the Performing Arts online for more information about the auditions and the feature performance.
The Penn State International Dance Ensemble Endowment provides support for the presentation.
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