Local dancer once again performs with Alberta Dance Theatre

Times Reporter

 

Strathmore dancer Neve Raycroft will once again be performing for the Alberta Dance Theatre, this year in the production of ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’. 

Raycroft had to audition for her part in the production, which will have its own twists to the classic storyline. The story is told through dance and is made up of dancers aged 7-17. Each group will perform four dances, and it can be with a combination of ages. In one of Raycroft’s dances she gets to be a Charlie, and there are three other Charlies in her group. 

“She had a great time at the audition, it was a great experience, she was on cloud nine. She had gone and there were other friends from the studio that were there and she seemed to really enjoy herself,” said Marnie Raycroft, Neve’s mother. 

“She’s a completely different person when she’s on stage, when she’s on stage… it’s where she belongs.”

At the end of  ‘Alice in Wonderland’ last year the Alberta Dance Theatre announced they planned to run ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ this year. Neve watched both movies and read the book a number of times to study and prepare for her audition.

Neve’s other roles include being an Oompa loompa and a cowgirl, representing Mike Teavee’s character from the movies and books. 

“I think it would be my cowgirl costume,” said Neve about which costume is her favourite. 

Neve was also recently named the recipient of a $200 dance scholarship from the Jaimie Hill and Tammy-Lynn Powers Memorial Foundation. Jaimie and Tammy-Lynn were two dancers from Calgary who lost their lives while en route to perform in Penticton with their fellow dancers. A memorial foundation has been set up in their name to allow future dancers to carry on their dream.

“Part of the scholarship is that it goes towards dance, so we would like to allow her to use it to go towards something that maybe she wouldn’t have otherwise been able to do without the extra money,” said Marnie. “That way she can add to her dance repertoire and continue to move forward.” 

“I think I might use some for an aerial camp,” said Neve. 

The production of ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ hits the stage of the University of Calgary theatre on Dec. 1 for two sold out school shows and is officially open to the public Dec. 2 to 4. Raycroft’s Grade 4 classmates from Westmount, and the Grade 3, 4 and 5 students from Trinity Lutheran Christian Academy will be attending one of the performances on the first. 

“I don’t think Neve gets nervous to go on stage, that’s for sure. I think they just eat it up when someone that they know comes to the audience, it just kind of fuels them,” said Marnie.

“She loves to be on stage and I truly believe one day she’ll be some sort of performer on stage doing something, or teaching in some way. It’s so amazing to go somewhere and watch your child on stage and to see how happy they are; it’s a good thing. It makes all those drives and those early mornings and late nights worthwhile.”