 | | Lord and Lady Capulet dance |
Ballet Hoo! is not a competition. There were no rounds of auditions, no elimination process and no search for an overall winner. Over 18 months the Ballet Hoo! project combined ballet and the arts, fitness, personal development training and life coaching to around 100 young people to develop skills to help them better their lives. Included in the cast were 19 year-old Alethea from Smethwick. She says: "I found the whole process challenging but at the same time very rewarding. I owe everyone a whole lot for the skills I have gained and will carry with me into later life."  | | Tybalt wrestles with the crowd |
This version of Romeo and Juliet, developed by Kenneth MacMillan, meant a gruelling rehearsal schedule for the untrained teenagers and the Birmingham Royal Ballet professionals as they worked together - and even adapted certain scenes. They performed at the Birmingham Hippodrome in front of a packed audience on Thursday 28 September, and were filmed for the final Channel 4 documentary. The project seems to have inspired everyone involved, and the success stories are already arriving. Linden, who plays Tybalt says: "I have recently been accepted by the National Youth Theatre and greatly enjoy acting. I hope to continue performing."  | | Juliet with Friar Laurence |
The project was a partnership between Birmingham Royal Ballet, Youth at Risk and Channel 4 - who have been filming the teens along their journey. There are still a couple of the documentaries to be screened 'Ballet Changed My Life: Ballet Hoo!': - Wednesday 4th October Channel 4 at 10pm
- Saturday 7th October Channel 4 at 6.45pm (the live performance)
All pictures by Phil Hitchman. | 
