The Scottish tour of Swan Lake by Argyll-based dance school Ballet West will feature two outstanding young dancers in starring roles.
Natasha Watson and Uyu Hiromoto will perform in the contrasting roles of Odette and Odille.
They will be partnered by Ballet West’s senior principal dancer Jonathan Barton, dancing the role of Prince Seigfried.
Nearly 100 of Ballet West’s students, together with guest artists, and students from Ballet West’s Glasgow and Edinburgh associates, will be taking part in the tour, which opens at Macrobert in Stirling on January 20 and moves on to venues in Helensburgh, Paisley, Oban, Glasgow, Greenock and Livingston, before finishing in Edinburgh on February 18.
Genée medalist Natasha Watson is originally from Falkirk. She graduated from Ballet West, based at Taynuilt, near Oban, in 2015, and has danced with English National Ballet and Scottish Ballet.
Uyu Hiromoto is a Japanese Genée finalist and second year student at Ballet West.
The choreographer is Daniel Job, Ballet West’s choreographer and artistic advisor. It is based on the original choreography by Petipa and Ivanov.
Mr Job said: “The talented young dancers at Ballet West will provide a wonderful night’s entertainment for people of all ages.”
Gillian Barton, Ballet West Principal, said: “For Ballet West’s students on HND and Degree courses, our popular annual tours provide invaluable experience in performing for audiences in many different venues. It is also a wonderful opportunity for them to dance alongside experienced professional dancers. In addition to beautiful dancers, audiences will appreciate stunning sets and costumes.”
Ballet West is a dance school and company based in Taynuilt, near Oban, Argyll.
It was established in 1991 by Gillian Barton, a Royal Academy of Dance-trained dancer, choreographer and teacher.
The school is an SQA approved centre and delivers HND professional dance performance. It also delivers a degree programme, BA (Hons) Dance, currently under a franchise agreement with Northumbria University.
Ballet West also runs monthly associate courses in Glasgow and Edinburgh, extensive local outreach programmes, and school holiday courses in Taynuilt.
