11-year-old Norwich dancer to be featured in Syracuse rendition of Aladdin
SYRACUSE – For the last two months, 11-year-old Donna Frech dancer Gillian Safavizadeh has been preparing for her first role alongside professional dancers with the Syracuse City Ballet for its rendition of the Disney film Aladdin.
Gillian will play a beggar in the Syracuse City Ballet's rendition of Aladdin on March 10 and 11 at 2 p.m. at the Crouse Hinds Theater in the Syracuse OnCenter.
Gillian decided to audition for the ballet after she and her mom, Ketherine, saw the Syracuse City Ballet put on Snow White in 2017. The show inspired Gillian, who said, "I want to do that."
"When we saw the auditions [for Aladdin], we went up to Syracuse, Gillian auditioned and she made it through," said Ketherine.
Gillian said she was excited to learn she had been selected to be part of Aladdin in early January, and has since been going to Syracuse every weekend for the past two months to rehearse for the show. Gillian even has a scene with one of the stars of Aladdin, Jasmine.
"There's a part where Jasmine comes into the marketplace and then she gets scared because it's her first time," said Gillian. "Everybody is just like begging and picking on her and stuff."
Gillian is in sixth grade at Norwich Middle School, and she's been dancing for nine years of her young life at Donna Frech School of Dance, taking classes including ballet, jazz tap, contemporary, and musical theater.
Photo: Donna Frech School of Dance Instructor Kathleen Cragle, Gillian Safavizadeh, and Donna Frech School of Dance Instructor Kristen Miller. (Grady Thompson photo)
Gillian will play a beggar in the Syracuse City Ballet's rendition of Aladdin on March 10 and 11 at 2 p.m. at the Crouse Hinds Theater in the Syracuse OnCenter.
Gillian decided to audition for the ballet after she and her mom, Ketherine, saw the Syracuse City Ballet put on Snow White in 2017. The show inspired Gillian, who said, "I want to do that."
"When we saw the auditions [for Aladdin], we went up to Syracuse, Gillian auditioned and she made it through," said Ketherine.
Gillian said she was excited to learn she had been selected to be part of Aladdin in early January, and has since been going to Syracuse every weekend for the past two months to rehearse for the show. Gillian even has a scene with one of the stars of Aladdin, Jasmine.
"There's a part where Jasmine comes into the marketplace and then she gets scared because it's her first time," said Gillian. "Everybody is just like begging and picking on her and stuff."
Gillian is in sixth grade at Norwich Middle School, and she's been dancing for nine years of her young life at Donna Frech School of Dance, taking classes including ballet, jazz tap, contemporary, and musical theater.
Photo: Donna Frech School of Dance Instructor Kathleen Cragle, Gillian Safavizadeh, and Donna Frech School of Dance Instructor Kristen Miller. (Grady Thompson photo)
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