Sisters head to world stage

From left, Arabella, Loulou and Olivia Moore will all dance in an international ballet competition in Brussels in October. Photo/Beth Maskey Photography

Three Tauranga sisters are preparing to take the international ballet world by storm later this year.

In October, Olivia, Arabella and Loulou Moore will head to Brussels to dance in the Petipa International Ballet Competition, after being approached by Parisian ballet master Jacques Marsa.

The girls' mother, Kat, says Jacques insisted Olivia, 14, and Arabella, 9, needed to be seen on the international stage.

"When you hear that from him, you take stock and think you know it's not just a New Zealand opinion ... so it's not as if it's taken lightly," Kat says.

She says 7-year-old Loulou was going with them, so she'll compete as well.

Olivia says the confidence boost of being approached by the founder of Ballet Dance International (which organises the competition) has been really motivating.

"I've worked a lot harder this year knowing that we're going to Brussels," she says.

They leave at the end of October and have nearly raised the money needed to get over there, though they are holding a fundraising concert on September 13.

"We're doing a lot of dances we're doing in Brussels," Olivia says. "And a few extra ones."

They've held several garage sales to help fundraise, along with selling donated items on Trademe. They've also had bake sales and sausage sizzles.

Olivia trains 20 hours a week, which involves dance class work, private lessons and general fitness.

The Year 9 Otumoetai College student also does ballet instead of PE a couple of times a week.

"That just frees up some training time, which helps," Kat says. "She'll often have an extra private lesson."

And school work?
"Homework basically just gets fitted in at night after we come home from ballet," Olivia says, or early morning if she's desperate.

Olivia says she doesn't really feel like she's missing out by committing so much of her time to dance.

"But sometimes, like say it's a friend's birthday, it will be that I can't go. [But] we're normally able to fit it in. My friends understand," she says.

Arabella is Year 7 at Otumoetai Intermediate, so she says it's easier to fit dance in around school. Kat says Bella's teacher is very understanding, helped by the fact she previously taught Olivia.

"She knows the drill," Olivia jokes. The family are going to Europe for six weeks, so Olivia will be doing school work via the internet during that time, so she doesn't get behind.

"While the competition is on there's master classes, then there's actual competition (where you do the dances you've been preparing) over five days," Olivia says.

Olivia Moore, 14 will dance in an international ballet competition. Photo/Beth Maskey Photography

"And then we shop," Arabella adds gleefully.

Olivia will perform four dances, two classical and two contemporary, while Arabella and Loulou will do two classical dances each.

The trio will also travel to Amsterdam and Leon to take part in day classes at studios there.

Olivia says her ultimate goal would be to get a scholarship to an international dance school.

When asked what they're looking forward to most about the trip, both Olivia and Arabella enthusiastically reply with "the experience".

"Dancing on an international stage will be pretty cool," Olivia says.

*The Moore sisters' fundraising concert is at Otumoetai College Performing Arts at 3pm on Sunday, September 13.
For tickets phone 021 0235 8389.
To donate to the sisters' trip, head to:
givealittle.co.nz/project/ mooresistersballet