A troupe of 22 budding ballerinas from a remote Cape York community have taken to the stage for a special performance to culminate almost two years of a unique learning opportunity.
Since early 2020, the girls aged between three and six years old have been learning ballet at the Hope Vale Campus of the Cape York Aboriginal Australian Academy.
The school's head of curriculum, and newly-minted ballet teacher, Kiriana White said the program, dubbed Barefoot Ballerinas, has been teaching the youngsters more than just dance moves.
"They've had to show commitment turning up at a specific time every week, which is really helping them to get ready for school and to be confident to come to school in those early years," she said.
Ms White, who has been a teacher at Hope Vale for 11 years, kickstarted the Barefoot Ballerinas project after taking on some feedback from the wider school family.
"A couple of prep parents last year were saying how it's a shame that kids don't get to do dance and ballet," she said.
"Because we live in like a remote part of Cape York, Australia, there isn't a lot of extra-curricular opportunities for the kids that they might get a in a city.
"Obviously, there's lots of rugby league and AFL up here, but there isn't really anything for the younger kids in terms of dance."
Pandemic pivots provide remote learning opportunity
It hasn't just been the young girls who have had to learn new skills – Ms White had no dance experience herself before starting the Barefoot Ballerinas program.
But that coincided with the pandemic-inspired pivots many had to embrace.
"It was at that time when COVID was causing all the lockdowns down south and so a lot of ballet studios went online," she said.
"I just had to guide them through but we had a teacher on the screen behind which was great.
"I feel like I know a little bit of the ballet language now so I can guide them and make up their routine so hopefully I do the ballet world proud."
The routine was a showcase of the various techniques the girls have learnt throughout the program.
"It's quite a technical performance to show off that they've been learning proper ballet techniques, the different positions and moves, not just dancing."
New dance program inspires community movement
The girls' costumes and performance props were funded by the Hope Vale Foundation, a local not-for-profit organisation, but the families have also pitched in to support the dance program which has proved hugely popular.
"One of the local grandpas, he made us our very own ballet bar which he welded himself so the girls have been doing bar practice as well," Ms White said.
"I think we had 10 preps and it's already doubled and next year we might have to have two classes, one for the three to four-year-olds and one for the five and six-year-olds."
