As of this month, Queensland Ballet has launched a new program and website that will offer kids a window into the wonderful world of ballet no matter where they live in the region. This new initiative is just one of the ways that Queensland Ballet is connecting with communities and particularly children, throughout the state.
The QB Junior website is aimed at entertaining and educating and making sure that all Queensland children, both metro and regional, can enjoy the benefits of our state ballet company. The wonderfully interactive website will open up Queensland Ballet through videos, photos, fun activities and competitions and sits alongside a new membership program called QB Junior Friends.
For young people with a passion for dance, QB Junior Friends is a unique opportunity to connect with a professional ballet company, receive access to exclusive classes and workshops, invitations to special events and be eligible for special regional travel bursaries.
Membership also includes a complimentary pack with a bag, t-shirt and membership bag tag.
Queensland Ballet Artistic Director Li Cunxin said he was proud to be offering a program especially for children.
“I was lucky enough to get my first ballet opportunity as a young child but I had little idea of what I was heading into at that stage,” he said. “It’s such a gift to be able to give these children insight and special access to the beautiful art form of ballet and we’re delighted to launch this unique program.”
Cunxin was quick to mention, however, that this was not the only way that Queensland Ballet was connecting with families and children across the state.
“We’re also very pleased with the success of our Adopt–a–Dancer initiative, which enables private dance studios in Southeast Queensland to ‘adopt’ a Queensland Ballet company dancer for a year and sees the QB dancer leading workshops and classes in the studio for the students,” he explained.
In addition to the workshops, the studios and students maintain an ongoing relationship with their adopted dancer through email updates, posters and connections after Queensland Ballet performances.
Throughout 2015, Queensland Ballet engaged with 80 schools and welcomed more than 22,140 participants in a variety of long-term, pop-up and regional metro activities.
“We’re also very excited about the June launch of our very first ballet especially for children, Little Red Riding Hood, choreographed for Queensland Ballet by Lucas Jervies, which will be a unique re-telling of a classic fairytale,” Cunxin said.
“We’ll also be hosting open ballet classes, workshops and masterclasses everywhere from Charters Towers to Mount Isa, and everywhere in between, as part of our Tutus on Tour regional tour in September and October this year,” he said. “We want to inspire Queensland children with a love of dance and all that it can bring to communities and we look forward to connecting with all Queenslanders through dance in 2016.”
For more information on QB Junior and QB Junior Friends, visit www.qbjunior.com.au. Get all the details on Queensland Ballet’s Adopt–a–Dancer workshops and regional tour by visiting www.queenslandballet.com.au.
Images: QB Junior Friends illustrations by Bigfish, courtesy of Queensland Ballet.
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