CBeebies Ballet – A yearly tradition
The CBeebies Ballet has become a yearly tradition and this is it’s eighth year. Since 2013 they have covered titles such as The Ugly Duck, The Tortoise and the Hare, Goldilocks and the Three Bears. This year it was the tale of Little Red Riding Hood that the CBeebies Production team and Northern Ballet had to tackle.
A Classic Tale
As with all of the previous performances, the CBeebies Ballet takes a classic story and gives it a little CBeebies magic. A key part of this year’s story are the Woodland Keepers. Along with Maddie and myself they help guide you on our adventure, finding things out and explaining them as we go. In keeping with the current world focus on the environment and sustainability, we find the woodland keepers cleaning up the woods and it’s here our journey begins. I’m not going to go into much detail as I don’t want to spoil it for you, but we do meet Little Red, Mum, Dad, Grandma, Woodland Creatures, and of course the Wolf – Who is not big and bad like in the original story. And that’s all I’m saying for now, you’ll have to watch to find out more.
Northern Ballet
As with previous years, all the dancing in this production is performed by Northern Ballet. Set up in 1969 by Laverne Meyer as Northern Dance Theatre, the company recently celebrated its 50th birthday. And having showcased child friend ballet for a number of years, the company has a wealth of knowledge. This makes a performance like this even more accessible to younger viewers which is exactly what’s needed for a CBeebies Ballet.
One thing that really impressed me was the way all the dancers got so immersed in their roles. Not once during filming did they break character which made everything even more realistic for all involved. Add that to the set, the costumes, the make-up, and the music and you really are in for a treat. When you watch it at home the story will jump off the screen and come to life in an enchanting way that the whole family can enjoy.
When can you watch the CBeebies Ballet?
The first screening of the CBeebies Ballet – Little Red Riding Hood will be on Friday 10th April on CBeebies at 9.30am. And it will be on again on Saturday 11th April at 9.20. If you miss those screenings don’t worry. The full ballet will reside on the BBC iPlayer for your viewing pleasure whenever you feel like it. And make sure you look out for extra ballet videos that will also be on the BBC iPlayer.
More to look out for
Don’t forget there is also lots of extra behind the scenes content available online. Make sure you look out for when I met Little Red and Wolf. There is also a simple dance moves video and the Little Red Riding Hood Song to sing along with. Check them all out on the CBeebies website.
I hope you enjoy watching and don’t forget to leave a comment and let me know what you thought
Nxx
