Chloe puts on her dancing shoes for Opera North show

Seven-year-old Chloe Bellenger, who attends Rawson Junior and Infant School, is joining a group of children to dance in Opera North’s production of Rossini’s Cinderella.

The show, which began last night (Thursday), sees Chloe with her dance partner Johnathon Clough perform a specially devised ballroom dancing routine during the overture of Rossini’s opera with a group of other dancers.

Chloe has been dancing since the age of three at Believe Ballroom in Bradford and has been dance partners with Johnathon for three years.

This is the first time that they will have performed in a production of this size and in such a grand theatre.

Aletta Collins, director of Cinderella, said: “Without giving too much away, I have set this production in a dance school owned by Cinderella’s stepfather.

“It will open with the children from Believe Ballroom and North Leeds Dance Academy attending a dance class with Cinderella’s two step-sisters, while Cinderella herself stands on the side-lines waiting to begin her daily chores and dreaming of how her life could be - if only things were different.”

Chloe will dance at the beginning of all the Cinderella performances at Leeds Grand Theatre until Saturday, February 25 when the production will tour to perform in Newcastle, Salford, Belfast and Nottingham.

The young dancer will appear alongside Canadian singer Wallis Giunta, who plays Angelina, the production’s Cinderella, and Sunnyboy Dladla, who is her prince, Don Ramiro. Both are making their UK and Opera North debuts.

Henry Waddington plays Cinderella’s wicked stepfather, Don Magnifico, returning to Opera North after his appearance as Baron Ochs in Der Rosenkavalier last season.

The production will run at Leeds Grand Theatre until Saturday, February 25. For more information on the production, visit www. operanorth.co.uk.