Annual Summer School 2008

The summer school programme has introduced almost fifteen hundred young people to ballet.

Equal emphases are placed on all the component parts of ballet, music, painting, mime, drama, as well as that of dance.

The focus is a performance in a professional environment in which everybody takes part and into which participants have a significant creative input.

Past productions have included 'The Pied Piper' , 'Old King Cole' , 'The Hatter and Alice do Wonderland' , 'Arabian Nights', 'Skool 4 Ghouls',  'The Ugly Duck' and 'Ash Maiden.'

During 2008 weeklong courses are planned for Portlaoise, Ennis, Bray, Tallaght, Letterkenny, Cookstown, Naas,  Navan and Tipperary.

The subject of the Ballet Ireland Summer School 2008 is a take on the tale of the "The Golden Goose"

Ballet Ireland Annual Summer School 2008-The Golden Goose

The Golden Goose is the hilarious tale of a simple man who finds a goose, collects a trail of villagers behind him, all stuck together, and causes a princess to laugh, thus winning her hand in marriage. A story of mirth and magic, it has all the ingredients to make a great ballet, and once infused with the usual summer school potion of dance, mime, laughter and joy, will be the most talked about performance this summer!

The award winning Ballet Ireland Summer School is in its eighth year and during July and August will be visiting theatres the length and breadth of the country with its own take on the yarn of the goose. During weeklong courses of workshops, participants will dance, act and mime out the story, together with dancers and tutors from Ballet Ireland. At the end of each week there will be a performance held onstage, in a professional environment, and open to all, parents, friends, neighbours and the general public.

Participation in the programme is open to all from age six and upward, boys and girls, dancers young and old, experienced or first-timers. Emphasis throughout the week is firmly based in performance techniques, style, confidence and self-expression. Inspiration and laughter are available in copious quantities all week long and none taking part will ever forget the experience. Every individual will have an input into how we can make the story of The Golden Goose into a ballet and all will perform at the end of the course.

The summer school programme is enormously successful, a highlight of the season on many theatres¹ calendars; many students return year after year. At each venue the number of students attending is strictly limited and available places are allocated on a first come, first served basis. Early booking is definitely advisable.


To book a place please contact theatres directly. This year's workshops will take place as follows: