Western Association of Ballet Schools: Vortex - A Children's Production

The Western Association of Ballet Schools are back at the Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre on Sunday 29 November with Vortex, a children's production that brings together more than 250 young dancers from seven affiliated local dance schools. It's a big cast for one stage, and the bill is a mix of ballet and contemporary, with costumes to match. The whole thing is put on by the Western Association of Ballet Schools (WABS), a self-funding registered charity (No. 278406) that gives young dancers the chance to perform in public.

That's the core of what they do: taking dancers from local classes and putting them in a proper theatre. Vortex is the result of that, with the seven schools coming together for one show rather than each doing their own small thing. The mix of ballet and contemporary means you'll see both the classical side of the training and the more modern, fluid work, and with over 250 dancers involved, the scale of it is a good part of the draw. The costumes are a big part of the production too, and they round off the whole thing.

It's a Sunday, so there are two shows to choose from: a matinee at 2:00pm and an evening performance at 7:00pm. Tickets are £21.00, and since it's a charity production, that's where the money goes. If you've got family or friends in any of the local schools, it's a good one to keep on the radar for late November.