Buds Of Dance Bloom Into Roses
Newcastle Herald
Friday October 12, 2007
EXPERTS agree that children should be encouraged to develop artistic and expressive skills.
Dance is a way to foster those skills in combination with physical exercise. No one understands that more than Karen Barker-Rogers. Ms Barker-Rogers is busy with preparations for a dance spectacular involving more than 300 children. Costumes worth more than $30,000 will be on show when Baby Ballerinas and Co and Central School of Dance stage their end-of-year concert at the Civic Theatre on November 24. Timed to start at 10am, the concert is expected to again be a sell-out. It will be compered by television personality Miss Kim. The theme of this year's show is The Festival of Flowers and it promises be a riot of colour and activity. "Baby Ballerinas sees children as young as three starting out as little buds," Ms Barker-Rogers said. "At five the babies move on to the Central School of Dance where they blossom into 9-year-old roses. "That's the theme we'll be capturing this year. "Along the way there'll be poppies, violets and butterflies. There'll be some magical moments in this year's program." There will also be a performance by Rosie Hartigan, a Newcastle dancer who now works overseas. Ms Hartigan's family home was destroyed by a deliberately lit bushfire at Salt Ash late last month. Among her losses were trophies, certificates and memorabilia.
© 2007 Newcastle Herald