produced by Johane Casabene

presents

La SylphideArtistic Director & Producer

JOHANE CASABENE

Assistant Producer & Drama ConsultantMARCO CALLEJA

Choreography adapted byJOHANE CASABENE

afterPIERRE LACOTTE

Guest Principal ArtistDONATIEN RAVET

Set Design & PaintingRAY FARRUGIA

Music byJEAN-MADELEINE SCHNEITZHOEFFER

Libretto byADOLPHE NOURRIT

3rd & 4th of April, 2010

Welcome AddressIt is with great pleasure that tonight we present to you the first romantic ballet ever created. La Sylphide is the result of months of hard work and it is proof of what the Johane Casabene Dance Conservatoire seeks to achieve … a higher standard in Dance in Malta.

Just as La Sylphide is a landmark in the history of ballet, so is this production a landmark for the Johane Casabene Dance Conservatoire. It is this production which, since its inception last November, has brought us together as producers, together with a very talented, hard-working and energetic production team. Furthermore, La Sylphide has taken students to new heights both artistically and technically. Finally, what better could we have hoped for, than having an Etoile Danseur such as Donatien embracing us with his professionalism, humility and exceptional talent; an example and inspiration to us all.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the team whose efforts made tonight’s performance what it is. On behalf of all involved we would like you to enjoy the performance as much as us!

Message from our PatronI am happy to congratulate Johane Casabene on her latest

production. I am sure that the performance tonight will highlight the excellent training and dedication of all the students and

teaching staff.

Johane Casabene has believed for many years that young Maltese dance students can achieve high standards once they dedicate time and energy to studying seriously. The Dance Conservatoire has given them this opportunity – to reach higher standards, to study and perform with international artists and through the study of a full scale ballet, to learn more about the history and classical repertoire of ballet – and vitally also to achieve the proper

qualifications needed to progress further. All this without leaving Malta too early!

I wish Johane Casabene every success not only with the performance tonight but also with her aims and her belief in the

future of ballet in Malta. In this regards the Dance Conservatoire deserves to be supported by any lover and supporter of ballet. I wish it every success in the future.

Janatha Stubbs

La Sylphide is set in Scotland, a land that was considered remote and exotic at the time of its creation. It was first performed in Paris in May 12, 1832 and it marks the advent of Romanticism in ballet. Created by Filippo Taglioni, La Sylphide shows a fusion of artistic dance and mime which gave birth to the first acte blanc in the history of ballet. Marie Taglioni, Taglioni’s daughter, was the first to interpret the role of the Sylph - a mythological creature, or forest spirit. In spite of its huge success, La Sylphide disappeared from the Paris Opera’s repertoire for over a century, whilst the same ballet was created by Auguste Bournonville for the Danish Ballet with a completely different music score written by Lovenskiold. In 1971, Pierre Lacotte

recreated the ballet based on Taglioni’s dance style for the Paris Opera.

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Synopsis

Act One

In the hall of a Scottish farmhouse, James Ruben, a young Scotsman, sleeps in a chair by the fireside. A sylph or forest fairy, gazes lovingly upon him and dances about his chair. She kisses him and then vanishes when he suddenly wakes. James rouses his friend Gurn from sleep, and questions him about the sylph. Gurn denies having seen such a creature and reminds James that he is shortly to be married. James dismisses the incident and promises to forget it.

James’ bride-to-be, Effie, arrives with her mother and bridesmaids. James dutifully kisses her, but is startled by a shadow in the corner. Thinking his sylph has returned, he rushes over, only to find the witch, Old Madge, kneeling at the hearth to warm herself. James is furious with the disappointment. Effie and her friends beg Old Madge to tell their fortunes, and the witch complies. She gleefully informs Effie that James loves someone else and she will be united with Gurn. James is furious. He forces Madge from the hearth and throws her out of the house. Effie is delighted that James would tangle with a witch for her sake.

Effie and her bridesmaids hurry upstairs to prepare for the wedding, and James is left alone in the room. As he stares out the window, the sylph materializes before him and confesses her love. She weeps at his apparent indifference. James resists at first, but, captivated by her ethereal beauty, capitulates and kisses her tenderly. Gurn, who spies the moment from the shadows, scampers off to tell Effie what, has happened. When the distressed Effie and her friends enter after hearing Gurn’s report, the sylph disappears. The guests assume Gurn is simply jealous and laugh at him. Everyone dances. The sylph enters during the midst of the revelry and attempts to distract James.

As the bridal procession forms, James stands apart and gazes upon the ring he is to place on Effie’s finger. The Sylph snatches the ring, places it on her own finger and, smiling enticingly, rushes into the forest. James hurries after her in ardent pursuit. The guests are bewildered with James’ sudden departure. Effie is heartbroken. She falls into her mother’s arms sobbing inconsolably.

Act Two

In a fog shrouded part of the forest, Madge and her companion witches dance grotesquely about a cauldron. The revellers add all sorts of filthy ingredients to the brew. When the contents glow, Madge reaches into the cauldron and pulls a diaphanous, magic scarf from its depths. The cauldron then sinks, the witches scatter, the fog lifts, and a lovely glade is revealed.

James enters with the sylph who shows him her charming, woodland realm. To cheer him, she summons her ethereal sisters who shyly enter and perform their airy dances. The young Scotsman is delighted and joins the divertissement before all flee for another part of the forest. When they all have left, James enters the glade. Madge meets him, and tosses him the magic scarf. She tells the young farmer the scarf will bind the sylph to him so she cannot fly away. She instructs him to wind the scarf about the sylph’s shoulders and arms for full effect. James is ecstatic. When the sylph returns and sees the scarf, she allows James to place it around her trembling form.

As James embraces the sylph passionately, her wings fall off, she shudders, and dies in James’ arms. Sorrowfully, her sisters enter and lift her lifeless form. Suddenly, a joyful wedding procession led by Effie and Gurn crosses the glade. James is stunned. Madge directs his gaze heavenward; he sees the sylph borne aloft by her sisters. James collapses. Madge exults over his lifeless body. Evil has triumphed.

Johane CasabeneDirector and Producer

Johane has been teaching dance, mainly Classical Ballet, as well as Modern Jazz and Contemporary, for fifteen years. She is a Licentiate and Tutor of the

Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (I.S.T.D.), and also a Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Dancing and Licentiate of the International Dance Teachers Association. Johane is a member of the Association Francaise des Maitres de Danse Classique.

Johane commenced dancing at the age of nine with Ms Daphne Lungaro. She later joined the Tanya Bayona Princess Poutiatine Academy of Ballet and at seventeen she auditioned successfully to further her studies abroad and obtained a scholarship from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She left Malta for three years and obtained a Masters in Dance and Related Subjects from the Libera Universita’ di Danza e Teatro (Mantova - Italy). During the course not only did she cover practical classes in Classical Ballet, Repertoire, Pas

de Deux, Floor Barre (Boris Kniasieff), Modern Jazz and Contemporary, but also theoretical subjects related to dance, such as the History of

Dance, Music, Choreography, Repertoire, Anatomy, Pedagogy, Dance Therapy, Stage and Costume Design. During her stay in Italy, she was

awarded the opportunity to perform and tour in various theatres in Mantova, Imola, Bologna and Verona with the Balletto Regionale di Mantova. After graduating with an MA, she also furthered her dance studies in England and France.

She has worked with exceptional artists like Jorge Esquivel (Primo Ballerino of the Opera di Cuba, now ballet master at the New York City Ballet), Carlos Palacios, Paul Maieorescu (Director and Ballet Master, State Opera, Rumania), Steve La Chance (known on the popular TV show ‘Amici’), Suzanna Egri, Jean Charles Gil (Director, Ballet d’Europe) and others. Johane has directed, produced and performed in numerous dance shows in local theatre and TV stations namely Premier Fois, Summer Reverie, Paris Danse, “007” – The Bond Show, Carmencita, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Cinderella. She has also performed in various dance festivals abroad where she has represented Malta with her work.

Johane is a proud mother of two adorable sons Jan and Adam. With the love and support of her partner Brian, she pursues her duties as a mother. As a dance teacher, her ambition is to raise the levels of dance in Malta to an international platform. She carries out her work passionately with one aim – to nurture and promote the art of dance …

“Since I was a child, I have been mesmerised by lithographs of Maria Taglioni in her role as La Sylphide. By producing this ballet a childhood dream has come true. A big well done and thank you to all my lovely

dancers and production team without whom the ballet would not have become a reality.”

CreativesRay Farrugia

Set Designer

As a designer, Ray received his early tuition at the Goverment School of Arts in Valletta under Harry Alden and Esprit Barthet at the Polytechnic in Msida. Later, he furthered his studies in Ceramics and Clay/Wood Sculpture under the direction of Gianni Bonnici and Gabrielle Caruana at Malta School of Arts and Crafts in Targa Gap. Eventually, Ray continued his studies by collaborating and completing an intensive design course at Harrow Schools for Creative Art in London UK.His artistic quality is wide-ranging. Besides being a freelance Commercial Artist, at his early stage of his career, he was appointed as a Designer/Wood Sculpture within a private organisation and as a glass designer in a state owned organisation. At a later stage, he successfully

embarked on a long career with Malta’s National TV Station as a graphic artist. He was then promoted to the position of Set Designer and then

eventually, that of Art Director. He is currently working as a Stage Designer at Teatru Manoel –Malta’s National Theatre.

Ray is married to Rita and has two children; Gabrielle and Martina.

“La Sylphide has been the best ballet experience ever. It was great working with the whole team and it is an honour to be a part of all of this.”

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Melanie ZammitPhotographer

A former student of the Johane Casabene Dance Conservatoire, Melanie developed an interest in the art of photography while on an overseas assignment connected with her IT work. Due to work commitments which involves weekly travelling, Melanie no longer has much time to practice dance but led her to the discovery of an interest in photography, with a particular focus on dance photography.Melanie is also in her final year of pursuing a B.Sc. in Computing and Information Systems by correspondence from University of London.

“Working with the production team and students of La Sylphide was an impressive professional experience, and I would like to thank Johane for being such a dear friend, believing in my work, and being such a great

person to work with.”

LeadsChristina Camilleri

La Sylphide

Christina started ballet at the age of five, under the guidance of Mary Jane Bellia at ‘The Ballet School’. At the age of eighteen, she was accepted to undertake BA (Hons)

in Ballet Education at the Royal Acedemy of Dance in London specialising in classical performance. Here, Christina also achieved the Teacher’s Licenciete (LRAD) which makes her eligible to teach all levels of ballet.In 2007, Christina started teaching at La Scuola di Danza ‘La Sylphide’ in Rome under the direction of Susan James. Here she experienced teaching ballet to all levels of students and preparing them for examinations, a school show and competitions.In 2008, Christina returned to Malta where she is currently freelancing as a dance teacher and is a member of the teaching faculty of the Johane Casabene Dance

Conservatoire. In the summer of 2008, “RedTape Dance Company” was set up together with Maria Cassar. This led to a dance show held in collaboration with the University

on Campus - ‘The Medium of Perception’. She was also invited to join the Dance Council Malta Ensemble and Contact Dance Company.

“Being chosen to perform La Sylphide is a huge honor for me and also a great challenge. Having this opportunity is helping me develop, both as a dancer and also as a teacher.”

Donatien RavetJames

Donatien was born in Puyricard, he entered the Mediterranean Academy of Dance in Marseille where he trained in various dance disciplines. Three years later, he joined the “Ballet Méditerranéen” and is now dancing professionally on stage. As a soloist, he has danced all the major roles in the classical repertoire, including ballets such as “Giselle”, “The Sleeping Beauty”, “Paquita” and many others. He has also performed roles created specifically for him by the director of the “Ballet Méditerranéen”, Thierry Le Floc’h. Some of these ballets are Colomba, Dialogue of the Carmelites, Portrait of a City and many others.In 1994, he was engaged by the Ballet de l’Opera de Marseille and in 1995 he joined the National Ballet of Nancy and Lorraine, under the direction of Pierre Lacotte. From 1996 to 1998, he became a soloist of the Ballet du Grand Théatre de Reims, dancing alongside Elisabeth Maurin, prima ballerina of the Paris Opera. From 1998 to 2002, he held the position of soloist at the Grand Theater of Limoges. There, he signed his first choreography, commissioned by the Directorate for Ballet and Soloists. This was received with great success and was hailed by press unanimously. In 2002, he decided to return to Marseilles with his wife Anne-Laure Gosselin, and once again he became the leading soloist of the “BalletMéditerranéen ”, whilst also dancing with the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux, Avignon and Toulon. His physique and technique allow him to address both the major roles of the classical repertoire as more contemporary choreography. He was nominated an “Etoile Danseur” for this reason after the performance of “La Sylphide” of March 24, 2005 at the Palais des Congrès de Marseille.

“Dance is my life and my passion … Specifically the style of romantic ballet shown in La Sylphide, is a faithful representation of the magnificent beauty and purity of classical dance … being able to portray my experience and my passion through this ballet with all the Maltese students is an exceptional experience which has enriched us all…. I love to share all that I have learnt with all the humility that one has to have in

this profession to learn more about each day…By sharing all this with the teachers and students, it is hoped that this experience will be engraved in their memory and that that something will result from this wonderful moment of dance and this magnificent

ballet… it has been a great pleasure for me to participate in this.”

Francesca Cassar - Wedding GuestFrancesca, a sixteen year old sixth form student, commenced her training in Classical Ballet at the age of nine, under the direction of Johane Casabene. She was involved in numerous shows with Johane Casabene including The Bond Show, Carmencita, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Cinderella, where she was given the role of the Spring Fairy. She also participated in Dance Beyond 2008 with the role of the Lilac Fairy in the ballet Sleeping Beauty. In 2007, she was awarded the Best Overall Performer Award by the Johane Casabene Dance Conservatoire. Francesca is currently a full-time student at the Dance Conservatoire. She has obtained Cecchetti syllabus exams and has always obtained very promising grades. Francesca is currently working to obtain her Advanced 1. Apart from ballet, she’s also interested in other dance styles, such as jazz and contemporary to help her become a more versatile dancer. She forms part of the RedTapeDance Company, directed by Maria Cassar and Christina Camilleri.Being a sixteen year old student at Junior College, she manages to juggle her academic duties with her dancing. She’s very interested in languages as well as humanistic studies. She’s currently studying History & Maltese at A level.

“It’s one of those unforgettable experiences that I’ll keep treasuring all my life. Besides that, it’s been a wonderful opportunity to dance alongside a beautiful artist such as Donatien Ravet who is

an inspiration to us all and encourages you to work even harder to achieve the best.”

Matthew Castillo - GurntA hair dresser by profession and co-owner of Castillo Hair, Matthew surely needs no

introduction to the local fashion scene. His experience as a hair dresser is truly vast and includes being involved in a large number of productions including musicals, plays, television dramas and fashion shows. Past projects have taken him a step further in the fascinating world of film industry, where he held the position of Hair Stylist on a number of films and television productions, both locally and overseas. Ballet has been his passion since he was a child but he never had the opportunity to train. As a dancer, this is his first ballet and his first performance on the stage of the Manoel Theatre after starting dance training at the Johane Casabene Dance Conservatoire last year.

“Dance for me is very special and that is the reason why I started my training at an adult age, only 1 year ago, at Johane Casabene Dance Conservatoire, and

now I can understand and appreciate the art of classical ballet more. Thank you Johane for making this happen.”

Chris Agius Darmanin - Wedding GuestChris had his first theatrical experience at the age of 12 when he played the role of Kurt in The Sound of Music. It was after taking part in West Side Story in 2006 that Chris decided to take up performing more seriously and quickly began doing anything he could to gain experience. This led him to start singing lessons under the tuition of Gillian Zammit, together with jazz classes at the Alison White Dance Studio whilst taking part in as many productions as he could. These include a number of end of year school shows, as well as A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Ensemble), The MADC One Act Play Festival 2007, Peter & The Wolf (Peter), Cinderella A Magical Ballet (Prince’s Companion), Turandot (Ensemble), High School Musical (Chad), and Spring Awakening (Melchior). It was the role of the Prince’s Companion in Cinderella A Magical Ballet (2008) that introduced Chris to the art of classical dance. What was initially a challenge eventually grew into a passion. He started attending ballet classes at Johane Casabene Dance Conservatoire in September 2008 with the aim of auditioning for a place in a professional school in the UK. Chris auditioned in March 2009 and is now a student at Central School of Ballet studying towards a BA (Hons) in Professional Dance and Performance.

Marco Calleja - Madge, the village sorceressMarco has been involved in theatre since the tender age of six and as he grew up so did his passion for the performing arts. Since 2001, he produced a number of productions and eventually founded Hoi Polloi Theatre Productions in 2004, for which he wrote and directed ‘Sindi Rella – the panto’ (2004), ‘Tarzan & Gejni’ (2005), ‘This Thing Called Love – a night with Cole Porter’ (2006) and ‘Christmas with Hoi Polloi’ (2007). His theatre credits also include; Voices Xtraordinaire (2004), and 1565: The Musical (2005), Jack and the Beanstalk (2008) and Jekyll and Hyde (2009) directed by Anthony Bezzina, Teatru Encore’s ‘Ceda l-Imbatt’ (2009), Bert in the De La Salle Theatre Troupe’s ‘A Spoonful of Sugar’ (2009) and pith singing in MADC’s pantomime ‘Peter Panto’ (2010). Marco’s T.V. credits include; co-presenter of ‘Klinika’ (2005-2006) and ‘360’ (2010) and actor in the series ‘It-Tmien Nota’ (2008). Marco started voice training with Mezzo Soprano Beatrice Brockdorff in 2003 and is now furthering his studies with Maestro Brian Cefai. In July 2006 Marco attended the Musical Theatre Summer School at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. He started intensive dance training at the Johane Casabene Dance Conservatoire in September 2008. Marco is a Biology and Science Teacher and is a Drama Teacher and Assistant Co-ordinator at the Johane Casabene Dance Conservatoire.

“La Sylphide has been one remarkable experience in many ways. As an actor, I am enthralled to portray the demanding role of Madge; as a dancer I admit that this will be my greatest challenge ever, having started ballet only a year and a half ago; as a producer, working with so many wonderful people has

definitely been a learning experience which I will treasure all my life.”

Alison Bird - Effie’s MotherAlison began her training in her hometown of Southampton, England and successfully

auditioned for the London College of Dance in 1985 where she studied various dance forms, teacher training and related dance studies. She graduated in 1988 with a First Class Diploma and was also awarded the Jubilee Shield for the Most Promising Teacher. In 1988 she came to Malta to teach at the Tanya Bayona Princess Poutiatine Academy of Ballet where she taught ballet, jazz, national and tap. She was also a dancer with the Tanya Bayona Dance Company. In September 1993, Alison joined the College of Jazz Dance as Head of Ballet where she established a flourishing ballet faculty. During her 16 years at the College Alison choreographed and danced in thgeir annual shows and YADA productions. In 2003, and again in 2006, Alison

was invited to teach and judge on the programme “Sfida”. She was also a judge on “Show Me You Can Dance”. Alison has been awarded two scholarships to attend the

ISTD Cecchetti Teachers’ Summer School in the UK. In late 2009, Alison joined the Johane Casabene Dance Conservatoire as a ballet and tap teacher and was also elected

as a member of the committee of the Dance Council, Malta.

“As ‘La Sylphide’ represented the beginning of a new era in ballet so it marks for me the start of a new beginning in my life. For this I am grateful and proud to be part of such a production.”

Caroline Ciantar-BarbaraEffieCaroline started her Classical Ballet training in 1999, under the guidance of Johane Casabene and is currently training for her Advanced 2 exam. She has taken part in various performances including ‘The Bond Show’ (2003), ‘Carmencita’ (2004) and ‘Vivaldi’s Four Seasons’ (2007). Caroline has also had the opportunity to work with many foreign teachers, dancers and choreographers; as well as being involved in Dance Theatre performances put together with ‘Redtape Dance Company’ which include ‘The Four Senses’ (2008) and ‘Excuse me, May I?’ (2009). In December 2005, she performed in the Choreography ‘MA’ by Jean Charles- Gil in Dance Power III, and was also chosen as an understudy of the Pas de Cinque, which she performed the following summer during the Arts Festival. Besides her dancing, Caroline also enjoys painting as a hobby. She is at present working on a Diploma in Interior Design.

“I am very happy to be a part of this production. The challenges I came across during the rehearsal period made it very interesting and made me want to keep learning especially from artists such as Donatien, who make this experience even

more exciting.”

Anthea Scerri, Annabelle Muscat, Martina Pace, Stephany Duca

Martina Borg Stevens, Erika Scicluna, Pamela Borg, Lara Nicole Camilleri

Sarah Zerafa Boffa, Tamara Cassar,Nicole Vassallo, Natasha Nikolic

Samantha Camilleri, Maria Francesca Cassar, Alexia Bonnici, Rowenna Pullicino

Gabrielle Farrugia, Yasmine Scorfna, Lilia Gingell, Leonora Chircop

Corps de Ballet

Corps de Ballet

Carina Titova Polubinska,Emily Ann Cilia, Federica Fava,Jeanine Dalli, Martina Bezzina,

Michela Mifsud, Mireya Aquilina,Pia Pellegrini Petit, Samira Muscat,

Soraya Gauci

Davida Camilleri, Jahel Aquilina,Jazmyn El-Gadi Pace,

Krista Zerafa Boffa, Maria Buhagiar, Martina Muliett, Michela Cassar, Michelle Vella, Nicole Chetcuti,Rakela Micallef, Rebecca Vella,

Ruth Zerafa Boffa

Aimee Galea, Anne Marie Muscat, Arianna Zammit, Aurora Sammut,

Briana Cassar, Chloe Borg Hefferman, Katrina Grima, Paula Farrugia,

Sarah Bonnici, Thea de Gray

Alexia de Gray, Brooke Aquilina,Elisa Catania, Ella Schembri,Katya Abdilla, Kaya Bonnici,Leuciagh Galea, Maia Rocco,Maia Cocker, Mariah Kasap,

Mariah Krista Gatt, Maya Anne Scicluna, Nicole Caruana, Odette Pulis Hopkins,

Soraya Galdes

Andrea Veselji, Jan Saliba Casabene, Jessica Pace, Julia De Maria Casabene, Katryna Briffa, Kendra Marie Farrugia,

Krysta Cutajar, Martha Cutajar,Martina Scicluna, Mireille Chetcuti,

Rachel Vella, Rebecca Cassar,Sascha Genovese

Amy Agius, Angela Cassar,Anthea Scerri, Julia De Maria Casabene,

Matthew Castillo, Melissa Grima,Pamela Borg, Thomas Cauchi

L’École FrançaiseThe French Ballet System

Academic Ballet as we know it today came into being in the year 1661, when King Louis XIV of France founded the Académie Royale de Musique et de Danse. Although individual Milanese dancing masters had been renowned since the fifteenth century, the permanent Imperial Dancing Academy connected with La Scala Theatre was not opened until 1812. The academy in Milan influenced Paris and especially Russia through the rules of education drawn up by Carlo Blasis, who became director of the academy in 1837 and rapidly made it the center of ballet activity.

By the middle of the nineteenth century the ballet centres of the world had shifted from Paris and Milan to St. Petersburg and Moscow. The Russian School first derived its technique from France but by the middle of the nineteenth century it had acquired an international aspect through the influence of international artists. From the beginning of the second half of the nineteenth century Russian Ballet was dominated by Marius Petipa, a Frenchman, and Christian Johannsen, a Swede. Then in 1874 Enrico Cecchetti, the last great exponent of the Italian school arrived in Russia. These three men working on generations of Russian dancers developed Russian ballet, making it as much a system as Italian or French ballet. Actually the French method is in the greatest proportion in the Russian School.

The ballet system in France kept perfecting its methodology and to date it keeps producing some of the world’s greatest ballet dancers. Having studied the Cecchetti, Vaganova and French Methods, Johane Casabene has combined her knowledge and experience to create a structure for the Maltese in order to improve the local system and method of training.

It is with great honor that tonight the Johane Casabene Dance Conservatoire officially inaugurates its collaboration with Mr Donatien Ravet and Mr Thierry le Floc’h who will be supporting and consolidating the accomplishment of this mission with the introduction of the French System in Malta.

www.studio9.com.mt

Production Team

Artistic Director& Producer

Assistant Producer& Drama Consultant

Set Design & Painting

Programme Design

Stage Manager

Photography

Rehearsals assisted by

Light Design

Costumes

Hair Styling

Assisted by studentsof MCAST Schoolof Hairdressing

Make Up

Assisted by

Johane Casabene

Marco Calleja

Ray Farrugia

Steve Calleja

Maria Agius

Melanie Zammit

Alison BirdChristina Camilleri

Johane CasabeneMarvic Sultana

Limelight CostumesElvia & Delina

Castillo HairRoderick & Matthew Castillo

Mark Mamo AmatoClint Abela-Wadge

Deborah TaboneAudrey Sant

Angie BonniciJessica Domenici

Ruth AttardMandy Cortis

Anna Klara Zammit

Mariella Aquilinausing MaxFactor Products

Ruth Muscat CassarRachel Vella

Charmaine Pulis Hopkins

Printing

Set construction

Flight simulations

Sound

Backstage Crew

Front of House Manager

Assisted by

On behalf of Teatru Manoel

Artistic Executive

Booking Office

PR

Executive Secretary

Colour Image

Armstrong

Cassar Ship Repair

Digital Magic

Wendy AquilinaFleur Bonnet

Kylie ScerriAmy Mifsud

Gabbie AbelaAlex Abela

Rachel Vella

Josette Gatesy Lewis

Alexander Gatesy Lewis

Alan Fenech

Michelle MangionDorothy Camilleri

Vicky Zammit

Marthese Zammit

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all participating students and parents for their hard work and co-operation towards the performance. A very big thank you to all the production team, theatre management, backstage crew, front of house team and technical crew for their work behind the scenes and the Johane Casabene Dance Conservatoire’s Teaching Faculty for their support.

Special thanks goes to:

Thierry Le Floc‘h, Donatien Ravet, Janatha Stubbs, Alan Fenech, Melanie Zammit, Roderick Castillo, Matthew Castillo, Donald Mallia, Cathy Farrugia, Chris Cassar, Maria Agius, Josette Gatesy Lewis, Mariella Aquilina, Michelle Mangion, Dorothy Camilleri, Marthese Zammit, Vicky Zammit.

We would also like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all sponsors and contributors for their support.

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Johane Casabene worked on the setting up of the first Dance Conservatoire in Malta, which is intended to provide the right structure where young Maltese dancers can reach a professional level. This is the first and only dance institution offering this level of training on the island. Due to the good standard of training, former students from the school have already succeeded in getting full time contracts with professional dance companies abroad. In time this will allow more Maltese dancers to embark on a career either as professional dancers or as teachers both locally as well as abroad.

Over the last few years, the Johane Casabene Dance Conservatoire has been introducing slowly its own training structure which is based on the same system adapted by dance conservatoires abroad. Through the recognition of this system and the qualifications achieved through it by the Malta Qualifications Council, the school will be solidifying its method. With a stronger collaboration with French ballet masters, students will now be able to train, be assessed and qualify with the French Ballet System which offers more rigorous training and will help to achieve the high standards which are a requisite for a professional career in dance.

The Johane Casabene Dance Conservatoire will also be starting a full time course in September 2011 for students at sixth form level wishing to take dance seriously. This course will enable them to obtain a National Diploma in Performing Arts (Dance). This Diploma carries academic recognition and students will be able to attend this specialized course instead of going to the standard sixth form. After the course these students will still be a position to enter both the University of Malta, as well as Universities overseas, or they may choose to audition to work in professional dance companies. Through this course students will not have to go through the financial hardships of training abroad, but be in a position to do so locally. The Diploma also offers students the possibility to specialize in other areas related to the performing arts which can lead to extensive job opportunities for their future.

For further information visit our web site – www.casabene.com

About the Johane Casabene Dance Conservatoire

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www.casabene.com

Johane CasabeneDance Conservatoire

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