Following five postponements, the artists of the youth performance company, ranging in age from 10 to 25, are ready to to take the stage by storm with the contemporary dance work.
While the show is based on the fairytale Snow-White and Rose-Red, Spark Productions founder and director Alex Dellaportas said the group worked hard to modernise the story.
“The kids really helped in shaping the story, I give all credit to them,” she said.
“It was originally set in 1929 in the Great Depression, a period of time where society was rocked by something huge and people didn’t know how to handle it; of course, we didn’t know that when we made it in 2019 we’d be entering into a global pandemic.
“So we reconfigured it to relate to 2020; we feel more anxious in the pandemic, people have their own personal burdens related to the pandemic and things that are challenging, so now it’s set during this time.”
The performance demonstrates themes of societal and individual challenges, exploring ideas of strength and integrity.
Fourteen dancers and a live 12-piece string orchestra will be gracing the open-air stage, complemented by paintings from two of the group’s artists projected on to the quarry walls.
As the show’s music director and lead dancer hail from the area, the Shepperton setting is one Miss Dellaportas pushed for, but the quarry as a venue was all but a pipe dream; an idea she joked about until it actually came to fruition.
Miss Dellaportas said the location of the show was that of an artist’s dream and one she hoped to share with other local youth performance companies.
“We thought while we’re at the quarry, why not get other people coming in? They support us by being at the show,“ she said.
Spark Productions has an hour of pre-show entertainment available to be filled by youth arts companies or artists, whether it be theatre, music or dance.
The youth group based at the Mornington Peninsula was established in 2016 to give young performers the chance to let their creativity shine.
Miss Dellaportas said the group members had been through their share of struggles, with a broken arm in the show’s premiere then several COVID-19-related postponements.
“With the pandemic, it’s been a constant chase of wanting to close the loop of this show, finish it, share it and close it,” she said.
“We just really want to see it happen; the show last year was rushed by the threat of lockdown so this time round will be much more relaxed and in a beautiful venue.
“It’s really special to have this outside, remembering where we come from and being grounded — over the past two years it’s the little moments that we have to make up for.”
The outdoor event will take place in the Dookie quarry on Saturday, February 12. Tickets are available via www.sparkproductions.org.au/snowandrose
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