Dancers from Travis Academy Ballet and Theatre School in Chester treated audiences to a terpsichorean delight at the same time as raising funds for a city charity.
The show, That’s Entertainment, was performed at Ellesmere Port Civic Hall the raffle raising £214.90 for the Countess of Chester Babygrow Appeal.
Teacher Katie Salisbury was in the audience and wrote this review:
In my profession, as a teacher, I have seen many performances by young students over the years, and That’s Entertainment was one of the most entertaining, professional and outstanding productions that I have had the pleasure of experiencing. Kathryn Travis, an experienced professional artiste and teacher, with the assistance of Aurora Navas, choreographed and produced a show of superb quality that allowed each and every one of the dancers to showcase their talents.
The dancers aged from 4 years old – the Tiny Tappers – through to aged 16 and gave performances that delighted the audience with routines choreographed imaginatively to an excellent variety of music and songs.
Act 1 opened with three ballet dances from Swan Lake, Coppelia and the dramatic Dance of the Willis from Giselle. Each of these were performed to perfection with grace and elegance and the lighting and costumes created an overall perfect exposition of the dances. It was simply beautiful.
The dancers moved effortlessly across the stage, combining jumps, turns and pirouettes creating a superb, flawless performance delighting the audience. It was particularly impressive to see how the dancers intertwined with each other, with expert timing; clearly a result of well-rehearsed andexcellently choreographed routines.
Act 2 was a showcase of numbers from famous musicals including Annie Get your Gun, West Side Story and Puttin’ on the Ritz.
The opening number from 42nd Street saw Alisha Underwood, Olivia Underwood and Hannah Dunne providing an excellent interpretation, showing a variety of dance moves and acting performed wonderfully.
Next up were the delightful Tiny Tappers – Oriana Navas, Amelia Thomas, Sohpia Mangan and Isabella-Maria Jones – performing a tap routine to On the Goodship Lolliop. Expertly guided by Aurora Navas and Bella Parker-Jones, and with an excellent set and props, these very young girlsdelighted the audience with their routine – it was beautifully choreographed and considering theages of the Tiny Tappers, expertly performed!
Annie Get your Gun and Calamity Jane each accurately portrayed the musical genre of its time with Emma O’Donnell characterising Annie Oakley perfectly, along with Alisha Underwood as Nellie.
Again, the set and costumes ensured the number was highly entertaining, a favourite with the audience. Milie Thompson gave a rousing performance as Calamity Jane, with cowgirls Alicia Greggan and Sarah Malone providing wonderful support.
Aurora Navas’ performance of I Feel Pretty from West Side Story was exquisite. From her perfectly pitched, melodic voice, to her expertly performed dancing, the entire number was mesmerising. Here is a young lady with natural stage presence and a talent for musical theatre that knows no bounds and is most definitely set for a bright future within the entertainment industry.
Such are her wide ranging talents – ballet, tap, singing, acting – that I feel she could accomplish whatever she so desired, and will delight audiences galore as she continues with her performances.
The Finale, Puttin’ on the Ritz showcased Aurora in a tap solo – simply brilliant! - and her costume, lighting and music perfected the number.
Credit must given for the beautiful costumes chosen for the dancers in each number. Their quality was evident and ensured the Show had a professional and polished look; the props were also well chosen and the sets afforded a genuine feel for each routine.
I feel privileged to have been part of the audience, and would love to see the show again! It would be wonderful if That’s Entertainment could be performed to a wider audience as I have no doubt, the cast and crew would delight all who have the opportunity to see this professional, highly entertaining and exceptional show. A massive Well done to everyone involved.
