Gisborne dancers to bring Peter Pan to life through ballet

Billie Kahn as Captain Hook, Ella Saunders as Peter Pan and Mila Siata as Tinkerbell will perform in Peter Pan - The Ballet by the Nadine Antoinette School of Dance on Saturday.

• Gisborne dancers will perform Peter Pan - The Ballet this weekend at the War Memorial Theatre.
• About 80 students, aged 4 to 19, have been preparing since August for the production.
• Ballet creator Nadine Proctor highlights the use of props, lighting and various dance styles.

Gisborne dancers are getting excited ahead of their end-of-year production of Peter Pan – The Ballet at the War Memorial Theatre this weekend.

The ballet was created by Nadine Proctor, who has put her spin on the traditional story.

About 80 students at the Nadine Antoinette School of Dance, aged from 4 to 19, will take the stage on Saturday.

They started working on the production at the end of August, following the completion of the school’s ballet exams.

“The whole story is told in dance,” Proctor said.

Audiences can expect a great use of props and lighting and a pirate ship (made by Nadine’s husband, Neil) that travels the stage.

Beautiful costumes and a mix of dance styles, including ballet, jazz and contemporary, will feature.

Proctor was grateful for the support of her husband, who is production manager, and son Nathan for making some of the set.

“I couldn’t have put on a show like this without help from the parents, who have assisted with props and costuming, and the amazing production team of Tim McAneney, of Creative Lighting Design, and Ross Tattle, who has come out of retirement to be stage manager.”

She also acknowledged the help from stage crew, dressers and makeup artists, which enabled the young dancers the opportunity to take part in a full-scale production.

Proctor opened the Nadine Antoinette School of Dance, where she teaches Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) classical ballet, in Gisborne in 1993.

She also teaches contemporary and jazz, but only in private competition classes.

Student teacher Ella Saunders (playing the role of Peter Pan) has just completed her first year of the Certificate of Dance Teaching through RAD.

“She has another year to go and will make an amazing teacher,” Proctor said.

Two of the students in the production are heading to full-time dance schools next year.

Billie Kahn (playing the role of Hook) has been accepted by Danceforce on the Gold Coast to do a commercial dance course. Proctor has taught Kahn ballet for the past 12 years. She also learns locally at Dancefit.

Miere Christensen-White (playing the role of Wendy) has been accepted into the NZ School of Dance as a contemporary major.

“I am looking forward to following their progress in years to come and am sure they have bright futures ahead.”

Peter Pan – The Ballet, Gisborne War Memorial Theatre. Matinee show 1.30pm; Evening show 6pm, 159 Bright St.