Geraldton dance students selected from hundreds of applicants to perform in Perth Youth Ballet

School, dance, eat, sleep and repeat.

This has become the norm for three Geraldton hard- working dance students who have been selected to perform in a new ballet company.

Perth Youth Ballet was created this year under the direction of former The Australian Ballet principal artist Kevin Jackson and Vogue Performers director Leanna Del Basso.

The company put the call out for talent for its inaugural production, with All Things Dance students Ellen Laurie, 15, Eve Gaudio, 14, and Jordan McDonald, 15, encouraged by one of their teachers to audition for the show in March.

Eve described the audition process as a “nerveracking” experience where they had just hours to learn and perform choreography for a panel of adjudicators.

Jordan said she and her friends had initially been grateful for the opportunity to try out for the production.

“In the back of our minds, we were hoping maybe we would get in but all the girls that were there, there were so many and so many amazing ones and we just knew it was going to be tough,” she said.

All three were selected from hundreds across the State and have been travelling to Perth every Sunday for rehearsals.

Ellen said they were all learning new skills and honing their technique from instructors and fellow performers.

“We feel like we have already improved so much within a couple of weeks and just a couple of rehearsals,” she said.

“You learn from the other girls that are there by seeing all their technique.”

There are 85 performers, aged nine to 16, in the Perth Youth Ballet production at the State Theatre Centre in August.