Up close and personal with the lead dancers of Sleeping Beauty
By Ashok Kumar, Photo credits to Singapore Dance Theatre
It’s the festive season yet again in Singapore and the Singapore Dance Theatre has enchanted us this season with Sleeping Beauty. The lead dancers, Rosa Park and Heidi Zolker are participating in this production and an interview was carried out as questions were asked about mostly their experience and the advice they can give to aspiring stars.
You have done many roles but which role remains close to your heart and why?
Rosa Park: I would say Odette/Odile in Swan Lake. The degree of technique and acting required for this piece is unparalleled to any other classical ballet pieces. This was my first principle role back on the stage after having left for two years to give birth to my twin girls, and I remember I had to put in extra hours of work to perfect it.
As a senior artiste and someone who has been in the ballet scene for a few years, what message would you want to send to those who are interested in pursuing this as a career?
Rosa Park: Pursuing a career as a ballerina is not easy. The amount of time and training we put in is beyond comparison. Yet, it’s the sweetness of achievement I get after staging a successful performance, and to this date this is what gets me going. You have to like ballet so much that you are willing to make sacrifices, be it maintaining a strict diet or spending less time hanging out with your friends.
Australia, America and Singapore. You have been in these three countries and which has given you the best experience thus far?
Heidi Zolker: Each place has had different highlights. In Singapore, performing in the ‘Ballet Under The Stars’ program is a unique experience. Dancing outdoors with the night sky and a large audience is something I will always remember. We usually perform in air-conditioned theatres, so the hot nights were exhausting, and our pointe shoes quickly went soft – but the crowd was fantastic!
What is it about performing in front of a live audience that you love?
Performing live is a very unique experience, and for me it was one of the biggest reasons I became a dancer. It is very special to share yourself with an audience, and feel their response. As a dancer you have the possibility to be larger than life, and connect with people on a personal level through the combination of music and movement. It can be both exhilarating and nerve-wracking!
I am pretty sure this show would be a blast and I am looking forward to seeing this play when it starts playing on the 13th of December.
See you there!
Sleeping Beauty will be showing from the 13th to the 16th of December 2012 at the Esplanade Theatre. Tickets are available through Sistic.
