All grown up — and living her dream
Former Kamloops resident Christina Cecchini expects she’ll have plenty of family and friends in the audience when Ballet Kelowna performs at the Sagebrush Theatre on Sept. 30. The dance troupe, which is about to embark on a provincewide tour, will be performing a variety of dances, with Cecchini taking centre stage throughout the evening.
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Updated: September 21, 2009 3:51 PM
Christina Cecchini is living “every little girl’s dream” — even though to do so involves long hours of rehearsals and studying.
The former Kamloops resident is in her second season with Ballet Kelowna and will be performing on the Sagebrush Theatre on Sept. 30.
A typical non-performing day for her involves class at 8:30 a.m., then two hours of rehearsal, a lunch break and another two hours of rehearsal.
It’s a regimen she’s used to, having studied for at the world-renowned National Ballet School (NBS) — starting there at the age of 13.
That was “a big decision to make,” but she said she was encouraged by her teacher, Maureen Duggan of the Dance Gallery, as well as by her mom, Anna, who “left it all up to me.
“So I decided I was going to try it out and I was there for eight years.”
She joined the Kelowna troupe to be closer to home and because, with only six dancers, she gets to tackle “some great roles” she might not be given in a larger company.
As a youngster, Cecchini tried gymnastics and, while she didn’t mind it, it wasn’t what she really wanted.
“Every little girl’s dream is to be a ballerina,” she said, and she found a way to start fulfilling that dream at Duggan’s studio.
Her teacher first suggested a summer NBS program with an audition for admission “that was a nerve-wracking experience.”
She was accepted, then progressed into the year-long program, which stretched out through her teenage years.
“But they were really good there. They told me I could come home anytime I got homesick,” Cecchini said.
“I got amazing training and my love for ballet just grew.”
Ballet Kelowna peforms Classic Contrast, four unique and different works, on Sept. 30 at the Sagebrush Theatre at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $35 for adults, $25 for seniors and $15 for youth and are available at the Kamloops Live! Box Office, 250-374-5483 or online at
tickets.kamloopslive.com.
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