Disney’s StellaLou to make her dance debut with Hong Kong Ballet at Disneyland’s Storybook Theatre
- Beloved bunny will star in the first collaboration between the theme park and the city’s top ballet dance troupe
- ‘StellaLou’s Wonderful Wishes Ballet’ will run from April 5 to 10 and April 14 to 16, with sign language interpretation available for theme songs at all performances
StellaLou’s Wonderful Wishes Ballet will feature 12 members of the Hong Kong Ballet. Photo: HandoutDisney’s beloved lavender rabbit, StellaLou, is making her ballet debut at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort next month, alongside the city’s leading ballet dancers.
The 30-minute performance, “StellaLou’s Wonderful Wishes Ballet”, marks the first-ever collaboration between Hong Kong Disneyland and the Hong Kong Ballet, as it tells the story of the little bunny’s journey to becoming a ballerina.
The dance show will take place up to five times a day in Disney’s Storybook Theatre and will feature 12 members from the city’s top ballet dance troupe from April 5 to 10, and April 14 to 16.
Sign language will also be incorporated into the theme songs of all the performances through interpreters. “It provides us with a great opportunity to ... make sure all our guests feel included,” said Fiona Yu, production director at Hong Kong Disneyland, and Heidi Lee, executive director of the Hong Kong Ballet.
Having always dreamed of dancing on stage, the ballet-loving rabbit reflects the common ground between the world-class dance troupe and the theme park.
“[We] share the same passion in bringing high-quality performances to the audience through music and dance,” Yu and Lee said of the collaboration.
The two explained that the show was meant to celebrate the powerful magic of hard work, perseverance, and the support of friends in making dreams into a reality.
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Guests will follow StellaLou’s ballet dream through three suites of dance performances. The show starts with how she has been dreaming and practising for her first ballet recital and ends by showing how she shines in a solo performance with the support of family and friends.
“This is actually a story of all professional ballet dancers: when you fall, you try again, and with talent, hard work and luck, you will eventually succeed,” said Yu and Lee, adding that the show took more than a year to prepare.
All the music, costumes and choreography were created by the theme park and dance troupe. For example, Disneyland injected its strong storytelling skills and stage effects into the performance, in addition to composing two original songs “Believe” and “StellaLou”.
“Music from the popular Duffy-themed stop-motion shorts will be showcased as part of the walk-in soundscape and a few scene transitions, giving the audience a whimsical and welcoming vibe. Fans will experience a new way to enjoy these tunes,” said Randy Wojcik, creative director at Hong Kong Disneyland, and Septime Webre, artistic director at the Hong Kong Ballet.
The dance troupe choreographed and created costumes that best showcased the Disney characters. “HKB is creating all-new choreography for the show. Some of the movement will feature the characteristics of Duffy and Friends like LinaBell and Gelatoni,” Wojcik and Webre added.
Three shows will have additional accessibility arrangements so people with disabilities can enjoy the performances. These showings will be at noon on April 7, 8 and 9 and are for NGO groups that have been invited.
“The production team is working closely with Arts with the Disabled Association Hong Kong to adjust the show … [such as] by lowering the volume of the sound effects, preparing chill-out rooms, and teaching cast members and performers how to react to these particular guests,” Yu and Lee explained.