Oldham dancers set for Swan Lake debut at Palace Theatre Manchester

Dancers in photo (from left to right): Elodie Catheral, Evie Fielding

Elodie Catherall, nine, and Evie Fielding, 11, secured places in the prestigious production following competitive auditions in March, joining a cast of 97 young dancers selected from more than 230 hopefuls.

The pair, who both train at Kirsten's Dance Academy in Oldham, are now taking part in an intensive rehearsal schedule designed to mirror the experience of working in a professional ballet company. The training includes 60 hours of rehearsals across 10 days alongside daily company warm up classes and full cast performances.

The Oldham dancers will perform alongside eight international principal artists when the production arrives at Palace Theatre Manchester on Friday 5 and Saturday 6 June 2026.

Elodie said, “I started dancing when I was one and a half years old. Since I was little, I’ve always loved to sing and dance. I just love to dance and perform it makes me feel so happy."

She added, “I am so excited for this experience and I can’t wait to perform in Swan Lake with the English Youth Ballet on the gigantic stage at the Palace Theatre.”

Evie said, “I started dancing when my mum took me to baby ballet when I was 2 years old. Since then, I have been dancing day in and day out."

She added, “It will be amazing to experience dancing in a professional production and learning from the principal dancers. To be able to dance at the Palace Theatre, a place where I have watched many famous shows, will be a dream come true.”

Janet Lewis OBE, director of English Youth Ballet, said, “English Youth Ballet’s aim is to provide performance experience to aspiring young dancers in beautiful venues close to where they live. The young dancers get to experience what life is like in a professional ballet company. They learn about developing their artistic and performance skills as well as improving their technique. I am always amazed at how quickly the young dancers progress and how positive they are when presented with new challenges.”

The ballet is set in 1895 Imperial Russia and follows the story of Odette, a dancer with the Mariinsky Ballet, and Prince Sergei, son of the Tsar, in a drama centred around love, rivalry and ambition.