YOUTH Ballet WA director Sonya Shepherd has found her perfect 'Swan' - and she has come all the way from Russia.
Guest artist Natalia Vyskubenko, from the revered Bolshoi Ballet, and her partner Yuri Vyskubenko, will join dozens of young talented Perth dancers for WA Youth Ballet's production of Swan Lake on the big stage at Burswood Theatre this weekend.
“Natalia would have to be one of the most beautiful principal swans I've seen anywhere…in any company,” Shepherd told Community.
“You don't like to stereotype dancers - but I've seen her in Don Quixote and The Nutcracker and she's definitely a swan.”
But there were other reasons for Shepherd choosing Swan Lake as this year's end of year production.
“It is one of my favourite ballets, and we needed a change from The Nutcracker, which we've done for the previous three years,” she added.
“We also have a former student, Brianna Shepherd (Shepherd's daughter), who danced in the Balanchine Swan Lake at New York City Ballet State Theater, so her coaching has been awesome for our young dancers, bringing a different angle and edge.”
Youth Ballet WA was established in 2004 by Shepherd, the daughter of Terri Charlesworth, who was recently recognised by Ausdance WA with a Lifetime Achievement Award for pioneering Russian technique and training methods in Australia.
Shepherd herself carved out an impressive CV - she joined Ballets de Monte Carlo at just 17 in the late '70s before transitioning to an elite aerobics career in which she represented Australia, and eventually turned her hand to teaching the next generation of ballet dancers.
Among her star students is 18-year-old Charlotte Price, who will head to Europe following her performance in Swan Lake hoping to break into Het Nationale Ballet in Amsterdam.
“She is principal material and she will get there purely because she is a director's dream - she will give 100 per cent whether she's in the back-line, front-line or a solo,” Shepherd gushed.
Youth Ballet WA's Swan Lake is at Burswood Theatre from December 17-19.
Emilia Vranjes