'Intriguing' ballet teaches kids about dance

Nearly 300 primary school children were offered a special viewing of an "intriguing" ballet to help the pupils learn about the "big, beautiful world" of dance.

Ballet d'Jerri's new piece Black Dog Noir opened at Jersey Opera House on Saturday, with students attending the final rehearsal on Friday.

The ballet company said that 273 "school students benefited from our free educational programme, enriching their learning through dance and theatre".

Tabitha Dombroski, ballet d'Jèrri dancer, described the play as intriguing, adding: "The arts is such a big, beautiful world, and there's so many things you can do... whether that be a performer or a dancer, a lighting technician or a stage manager."

The ballet is based on The Black Dog of Bouley Bay, a Jersey legend which choreographer Jeroen Verbruggen said could also be a metaphor for mental health.

Verbruggen said: "When I was asked to make a creation here, they had asked me to maybe get inspired about... stories or legends on the island and the one that spoke to me was the Black Dog of Bouley Bay."

He said it was not just movement that came into creating the ballet, but the lights, costumes and dancers were just as important.

The choreographer from Belgium said it was a "privilege" to work with Jersey folklore.

For the children watching the performance, he said it was important to invest in educating people about the arts.

"People think dance is not for everybody, but it is," he said.

"I think people forget that it's more about feeling the art and that's whether they love it or hate it."

Dombroski added: "I just love learning about the heritage ... and just to bring these tales to life.

The New Zealand-born dancer has been with the ballet company for three seasons and said she loved the excitement the children who came to watch showed.

Primary school pupil Aria, 11, attended the performance.

She said: "It's historical, so it's good to learn a bit through dance as well. I'm excited to see and listen to all the things that they're doing."

According to Jersey Heritage, the Black Dog was thought to have roamed the cliff paths around Bouley Bay dragging a chain behind him.

It said the "dog frightened people so much that they would stop in their tracks, ... but apparently no actual bodily harm was ever done to any of the victims – they would be found cowering against a hedge".

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