Good Pointe To This Yarn

Newcastle Herald

Monday April 2, 2007

with Amy Edwards and Anita Beaumont

ELEEBANA-raised dancer Olivia Bell can amaze audiences with her feet, but after a performance with The Australian Ballet, she likes to rest her sore toes and practise knit one, pearl one.

"My mum taught me how to knit when I was three years old," Bell told The Word.

"It's such a nice way to wind down for me."

Bell's mum Helen still lives in Newcastle and she will head to Sydney with Bell's grandparents to see her perform in the production of Don Quixote, below.

The Australian Ballet senior artist has performed many lead roles with the company and will play the role of a street dancer filled with Spanish passion in Don Quixote.

For three of the performances Bell will dance alongside international ballet star Ethan Stiefel .

Stiefel is principal dancer with the American Ballet and starred as the young rebellious dance teacher, Cooper Nielson, in the US movie Centre Stage.

"It's great working with him. He's so professional and very charismatic. The ease he has on stage is amazing," Bell said.

She admitted she did watch the film Centre Stage for a bit of a giggle.

"I did want to see him. I generally don't watch ballet when I do ballet for a living," she said.

Set in a seaside village, Don Quixote tells the story of a deluded old knight, Quixote, on a quest to find his lost love, Dulcinea. The production opens on Thursday at the Sydney Opera House.

© 2007 Newcastle Herald

Back to News Index | Back to Home