Tickets for all performances available from:

www.ticketsource.co.uk/chelseaballet

Or via the telephone numbers shown below

Chelsea Ballet presents

An Afternoon of Classical Ballet

Swan Lake Act IV / Divertissements / Garden Scene from La Bayadere

Saturday, 2nd August at 5.30pm

Tickets : £10 / £6 (concs)
Group ticket of £50 if 10 people guaranteed

Ticket info: Chelsea Ballet
Tel: 0786 7525114 (answerphone)

Redgrave Theatre, Clifton, Bristol

Chelsea Ballet Summer School for Adults

To be held from 4 - 8 August 2008 at Morley College, Westminster Bridge Road, London

For more information and an application form send an email to Louise Hudson

Elaine Andrews, a student at the Summer School, composed the following poem. Hippo’ comes from her personal email address and was inspired by a piece of Microsoft Clipart.

Monday sixth of August, Leaving behind the heat and dust,
Of the South London scene, To Arts Ed in leafy Turnham Green.

Hippo put on her shoes, a favourite pair, Pinned up her hair, and said a prayer.
Took her place at the barre, With friends from near and far.

Director Louise looked at our eager faces, And proceeded to put us through our paces.
Through plies, tendus, ronds de jambes à terre, To steps of elevation in the air.

Then to Pilates, collapsing on a mat. Hippo was glad she was not fat.
Carey said ‘Navel to spine Will improve your line.
When you get much stronger, Your body will look longer!’

To the park and eat some lunch, Before pointe work makes toes crunch.
Up we went and down. No one dared to frown. Because the expert Henrietta
Wanted us to get much better. Hippos shook in her Freeds,
She thought she had special needs. But by the end of the week,
She was far less meek. An arabesque on toe, Was no longer ‘no’.

Next, everyone to double work, The men were not allowed to shirk.
Upon the scene poor Hippo gazed, But soon she was amazed.
Arabesques, turns and a promenade, Proved not to be too hard.
And gave way, by day five, To a really cool fish dive.
And on the way, we all did well And danced a pas de deux from Giselle.

When from our toes we finally descended, We found the course had sadly ended.
But just when Hippo made to leave, Paul, Roy, Justin, Michael and Steve
Took to the floor With partners galore, Saying ‘What the hell’.
Let’s be peasants in Giselle. And next came the waltz girls, Who danced with leaps and twirls,
But then who should appear in a whirl – Someone who was definitely not a girl!

Last on the programme came Three girls seeking fame. Two Dawns and a Prayer,
Dancing without a care.

Then Hippo took off her Freeds, And was proud of her deeds.
Went back to South London with her rolled-up mat, To Ruby, her quirky and demanding cat.

Chelsea Ballet &

Elements Dance Company

presents

Reflections of Dance

Introducing a new work by Cassandra Jacobs ‘Impressions of Inuyasha’

Saturday, 19th July @ 7.30pm
Sunday, 20th July @ 2.30pm

Tickets: £10 / £6 (concs)
Group ticket of £70 if 10 people guaranteed

Advance ticket sales: 020 8961 0519
Ticket queries on the day: Tel: 0786 7525114

Queen Charlotte Hall, Parkshot Centre, Parkshot, Richmond TW9 2RE

Impressions of Inuyasha
A new ballet by Cassandra Jacobs

This ballet is based upon the popular Japanese anime television series using the characters created by Rumiko Takahashi and the music of Kaoru Wada.

The story is set in feudal Japan where demons are living side by side with moral humans. Kagome is a typical 15-year old school girl from the present day who because her soul contained the sacred jewel was able to travel back in time via the family shrine’s well. Back in feudal Japan the sacred jewel is released from her body and is shattered into hundreds of shards when Kagome accidentally shoots an arrow at it. The shards are scattered all over the land and demons are on the hunt for them to make themselves more powerful. One such demon is Inuyasha, who is actually a half dog demon (his mother was human). For the last 50 years he has been pinned to a tree by one of Kikyo’s arrows. It is Kagome who is able to release him from the spell due to her soul being a reincarnation of Kikyo. He wants the jewel so he can transform into a full demon. Kagome is very useful to him as she is the only one who can sense where the jewel shards are. To keep Inuyasha under control a priestess has given Kagome a string of magical beads to place around Inuyasha’s neck. Every time Kagome says ‘sit’ that is just what he does.

So they set off on their search and along the way encounter Shippo, a young orphaned fox demon. Kagome couldn’t leave him to fend for himself, as he’s so cute. Soon they meet up with Miroku, a monk who has inherited the wind tunnel in the palm of his right hand. His mission is either to defeat the half demon Naraku who placed this curse upon his family or get married and have a son, to continue on with this aim, before Miroku is sucked into the void of the wind tunnel. Then the demon slayer Sango joins the group of friends. She comes with much sadness in her heart because her whole family was tricked into murdering each other in one of Naraku’s evil schemes.

Meanwhile in Naraku’s castle more schemes are being planned. This half demon was created out of the soul of an evil robber looking for more power. Many demons entered into this soul and because of this Naraku can reincarnate various demonic forms to work for him. His latest one is Kagura, the Wind Sorceress. He senses that she wants to be free of Naraku and so he then creates Kanna. She holds a mirror in which Naraku can look into, to spy on Kagura. Naraku knows that he has many enemies so he creates another demon with a sacred jewel shard embedded in its head to kill Inuyasha and his friends.

Inuyasha has another enemy, Lord Sesshomaru a dog demon and Inuyasha’s half brother. Sesshomaru despises Inuyasha for being a half demon and this feeling is antagonised by the fact Inuyasha inherited the Tessaiga sword from their father. A powerful sword that can slay 100 demons with one strike. Sesshomaru and his loyal henchman, a demon toad called Jakin are searching for Inuyasha to take back the Tessaiga. Finding Inuyasha in the arms of a mere mortal is enough for Sesshomaru to instigate a fight. But the Tessaiga proves to be too powerful even for Sesshomaru, injured he finds a secluded spot to recuperate. He is disturbed by the sudden appearance of a human child, Rin. She is an orphan who has been struck dumb after witnessing her whole family murdered by robbers. She finds for herself and has just stolen some food. Upon seeing Sesshomaru she offers him some, he declines saying he can’t eat mortal food. After resting Sesshomaru goes on his way leaving Rin alone.

Naraku’s demon has picked upon on the scent of Rin. On the belief that devouring the flesh of a mortal human child will give it added strength it kills Rin but is disturbed before eating her. It is Jakin, he is begging for his life. Sesshomaru is holding the Tenseiga sword. This is the sword that Sesshomaru inherited from his father. He can’t understand why his father left him this sword whose power he has not use for. Suddenly he becomes ware that the sword is drawing him to the body of Rin. Using the sword’s power he revives Rin. She thanks Sesshomaru for saving her life and makes a promise to herself to follow him wherever he goes.

Everyone’s after the sacred jewel shards! The evil sorceress, Urasue believes she has come up with a foolproof plan. She has stolen the remains of Kikyo from her grave an using her magical powers will resurrect her. After all Kikyo was the guardian of the sacred jewel and thus has the ability to sense where the shards are. Unfortunately Urasue has not taken into account Kikyo’s spiritual power. The resurrected Kikyo can’t be controlled by anyone and only has one aim, to reunite with Inuyasha, her one true love.

While Kagome is trying to get her head around the love triangle that she has found herself in, love may be flourishing elsewhere in the group.

That’s enough time spent dwelling on affairs of the heart. Myoga, the flea demon has come to warn them about Naraku’s latest evil plot. It’s a bit late for that, as Kagura and the demon have already arrived. At first Miroku opens up the wind tunnel to try and suck the demon into the void but he gives up exhausted. Inuyasha comes to the rescue. Slightly injured from battle Kikyo and Kagome come to his aid. Disappointed with Kagura failing to kill Inuyasha and his friends, Naraku strengthens his hold over her.

Kagome realises she can’t deny her feelings for Inuyasha and he too is admitting his feelings to her. The rest of the group join the couple to enjoy this precious peaceful moment.