A NEW ballet developed with the help of pupils at an East Renfrewshire school is set to take to the stage in Johnstone.

Barrowland Ballet has announced a tour of new shows, with performances of two shows, “Tiger” and “Playful Tiger”, at Johnstone Town Hall.

Aimed at adults and young people over 14, “Tiger” sees chaos erupt in a troubled family’s world when a tiger invades.

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“Playful Tiger”, meanwhile, was created especially for children and young people who are profoundly autistic and mainly non-verbal.

It was developed with the help of pupils at Isobel Mair School in Newton Mearns in June, when Barrowland Ballet had a two-week residency.

The set for the show was installed in the school hall and performers worked with over 20 pupils with profound autism. 

They started with two days observing the classes and learning about the young people before pupils visited in small groups to move around the set, working with the dance artists on exploring different movements and responses. 

The Gazette:

Artistic director Natasha Gilmore said: “It was brilliantly chaotic with moments of beautiful, improvised, duets occurring between the performers and the pupils, and the dance artists expertly using their skills to engage and respond to the children’s lead. 

“This production is aimed at children who do not currently have access to theatre because even a relaxed performance might not cater to their complex needs. I’m thrilled that these children and their families will have access to contemporary theatre.”

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Tickets can be booked for “Tiger” at 7pm on September 30 or “Playful Tiger” on October 1 at 11am by calling 0300 300 1210 or online (“Tiger” only) at www.renfrewshireleisure.com