Angelina Ballerina comes to Rotorua

Silence and polite clapping at the end of a set is usual at a ballet but when Angelina Ballerina comes to Rotorua the star of the show is expecting a lot of cheers, clapping and dancing during the middle of the performance.

Angelina Ballerina, the star of popular children's books and animated television series, will appear in Rotorua next week as part of the Royal New Zealand Ballet's Meridian Season of Angelina Ballerina's Big Audition.

The show is not your typical ballet. As part of her costume, Bridgett Letters, 22, who takes on the role of Angelina Ballerina, will be wearing a giant mouse head, which she has had to get used to.

Letters said every dance move she did while wearing the mask, she had to be wary of how much the head would move around.

She said with a traditional ballet, audience members were polite and clapped when the set was complete. However, as part of the Angelina Ballerina's Big Audition ballet, she said the performers felt the appreciation of the crowd.

She said children showed their enthusiasm throughout the show. If they enjoyed something they clapped, cheered and laughed because they knew the characters and got the jokes.

"I really love the response that you get from children," Letters said.

"They know the characters, they scream out ... they clap and they cheer and they dance along."

She said that was what the show was all about.

Letters is encouraging Rotorua residents to attend the show and believes children and adults will enjoy it. "Pretty much whatever age you are you're going to enjoy the show."

She said the audience was encouraged to dance along with the show and enjoy themselves.

The 75-minute performance, including a 20-minute interval, features ballet, hip-hop, contemporary dance and tap dancing.

In a production packed with colourful characters, Angelina prepares for her most important performance in front of a judge from the Camembert Academy.

The show will be held at the Rotorua Civic Theatre next Friday at 1.30pm and 4pm. Tickets are $25 for children and $35 for adults and are available from www.ticketmaster.co.nz or TicketMaster on (07) 350 2244 or (0800) 111 999.