CHRISTCHURCH CITY COUNCIL MEDIA RELEASE
18 November 2009

From: CCC Communication Team

 
Ballet workshop for the children of Pioneer Early Learning Centre

Children at the Christchurch City Council’s Pioneer Early Learning Centre are building on their creative interest with a Royal New Zealand Ballet workshop tomorrow, as  preparation for a trip to see the RNZB performance of Peter Pan.

The workshop, part of RNZB’s Tutus on Tour programme, will offer the children greater understanding of the ballet Peter Pan and introduce them to basic choreographic techniques.

Following the workshop, the  children will attend the Christchurch show of Peter Pan at the Isaac Theatre Royal on Friday, as part of their continued interest in classical music and ballet.

The workshop will be provided at an age appropriate level. All children at  Pioneer ELC are younger than five years of age.

Dressing up and dancing is an integral part of the curriculum at Pioneer ELC. The children’s interest in ballet began through the story of Swan Lake and led them to attending a show with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra. This  was then followed by the CSO making a presentation to the children at Pioneer ELC.

The children have been reading Peter Pan for the past month to prepare for the ballet and will attend the show  dressed in an array of costumes including pirate outfits, fairy costumes and tutus.

“We hope these cultural excursions will lay the foundation that is crucial to further development and a lifelong love and appreciation of dance, movement, and the arts,” says the Council’s General Manager Community Services, Michael Aitken.
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