TWO young stars from Chippenham took to the stage at the New Theatre, Cardiff, earlier this month to perform in the English Youth Ballet’s performance of Sleeping Beauty.

Siblings Clara and Woody Black, nine and 10, from Draycot Cerne, auditioned at the New Theatre Cardiff before Easter. After a nervous wait, both children found out they had got the parts on the same day of their audition. Clara and Woody trained non-stop at Chippenham Dancing Academy before being launched into an intensive two-week rehearsal with the English Youth Ballet.

This production of Sleeping Beauty was full of 21st century technology. Fairy wands were substituted for iPads, and there were guest appearances from other fairy tale princesses such as Cinderella. Clara in fact was Cinderella’s personal attendant, as well as a songbird, while Woody played a ‘hopboy’ and a monster.

Mum of Clara and Woody, Mrs Jemma Black, described the performance of Sleeping Beauty as “amazing.” She said: “The costumes were beautiful, the dancing was fantastic and the whole experience was amazing. Clara and Woody loved performing on such a beautiful stage and were really excited to be part of this experience with the English Youth Ballet.”

Despite the competitiveness that exists between them, both Clara and Woody enjoy being able to be in the same shows together, even though they are at different levels of dance.

Their performance with the cast in Cardiff was immensely enjoyable, emotional, exhausting and thrilling, a great thing to have been part of during the summer holidays.