100 young dancers wanted for prestigious ballet production at Wolverhampton's Grand Theatre

English Youth Ballet (EYB) is set to hold auditions for the critically-acclaimed production Giselle. The dance company is inviting passionate dancers from across the region to audition for the cast, which will be made up of around 100 dancers aged eight – 18.

Young dancers will be given the opportunity to train, rehearse and perform with professional dancers in the production for three nights on the Wolverhampton Grand stage.

Auditions will take place on June 17 for Giselle, which will be performed to an audience from September 6-7, 2024.

A description of the five-star rated production by English National Ballet reads: 'A young peasant girl, Giselle, is in love with Albrecht, a Duke who hides his title and his engagement to another. When Giselle discovers he has deceived her, she is driven to madness, and dies of a broken heart.

"Late at night, the Wilis gather by her grave, ready to welcome her into their fold as the vengeful spirits of betrayed brides, who force men to dance to their death. Will Giselle’s love protect Albrecht from his fate?'

EYB, which has dance studios across the country, is one of the largest ballet companies in the country and has been training dancers for 26 years.

Its director, Janet Lewis MBE, has trained with the Royal Ballet Company and danced alongside renowned English ballerina Margot Fonteyn. Now, her company is regarded for presenting lavish, large-scale classical ballets, with critics praising the quality of the beautiful sets and costumes.

Ms Lewis said: "The audition is an experience in itself. EYB is all about performance experience and this starts at the audition as the dancers are given a regular ballet class with parents and family encouraged to watch. We are looking for young dancers of all abilities who can show the audience how much they enjoy their dancing."

The auditions will take the form of a regular ballet class but on the stage, with dancers finding out on the day if they have been successful.

It is advised to register for the audition in advance but on-the-day registrations are also available – auditionees must arrive 30 minutes early to register on the day.

The audition fee is £20 and all dancers participate in a full ballet class. Parents are invited to watch the audition from the auditorium.

Auditions will be held at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre in Lichfield St, Wolverhampton.

• 4.30 – 6.15pm Audition 1 (for dancers aged eight – 11)

• 6.45– 8.30pm Audition 2 (for dancers aged 12 – 18)

For more information and to register for the audition, email englishyouthballet@gmail.com.