Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/604914
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 22 NOVEMBER 2015 31 This Week dancer and the dance Temma from Japan and Emil Faski from Russia. Of course, full-length ballets in Malta are quite a rarity, and suc- cess is not only defined by the tickets sold, but also by their cul- tural impact and educational val- ue for the students. In fact, Jac- qui, along with her peers, got the opportunity to work with inter- national choreographers Terence Etheridge and Sianne Stasberg on the production – an experience usually reserved for those study- ing at leading colleges abroad. What many may not realise, however, is that Brigitte's School is achieving that status, with for- eign, leading ballerinas and cho- reographers flying to Malta to ex- pand on her students' education. Among these, was First Artist of The Royal Ballet Erico Montes, who is also choreographing the School's 25th Anniversary, The Sleeping Beauty. "Coincidentally, I met Erico the day before rehearsals started, on an Air Malta flight," says Jacqui, who works for the national air- line as a stewardess. "I was so sur- prised to see him at the School the next day, and even more sur- prised that he actually remem- bered me! "He's a fantastic teacher," she continues, "and working with him has definitely been a once- in-a-lifetime experience… Class- es have been challenging, but he pays so much attention to each and every one of us that our tech- niques and stage presence have improved manifold. It's been a real honour to be his student!" Erico, along with Claire Calvert, a Soloist from the Royal Ballet, will be performing the lead roles in the timeless fairytale, which is being choreographed to the mu- sic of the legendary Russian com- poser Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – a fitting tribute as the world commemorates his 175th birth- day. Jacqui will be taking part in both acts of the ballet: first as the solo- ist in the Garland Waltz and then as the Jewel Fairy. "I'm sure many people will recognise the Garland music instantly thanks to Dis- ney's version of the fairytale," she says. "And I'm quite looking for- ward to seeing people's reaction to the stage – it's so full of colour, life and movement!" Given past editions of Brigitte Gauci Borda's ballets – includ- ing the über-successful The Nut- cracker – there is very little doubt that The Sleeping Beauty will be another standout event on the lo- cal cultural scene. "I have been studying ballet with Ms Brigitte for the past 14 years, and the School has been getting bigger and bigger," Jacqui says. "Not just from a humble home in Sliema to a grand one in the same location, but also in the number of students enrolling every year and the quality of the School's productions. "Ms Brigitte, along with the school's other teachers, like Ms Lynne [Salamone Reynaud] and Ms Claudia [Preca], has pushed us to do our best and to persevere. Ballet is not an easy discipline, but they have really taught us to ex- press our emotion through dance, and to reach levels we didn't know we could. That, coupled with the two headlining dancers from the iconic Royal Ballet should make this show a fantastic one." But what happens when the bal- let slippers are taken off and when Jacqui's not modeling, I ask? Well, turns out that her life out of the spotlight is just as busy. "I have recently graduated from the University of Malta in Tour- ism Studies, and I work with Air Malta at the moment. As for the future, the plan is to continue my studies in the touristic sector, as I believe Malta has the potential to keep flourishing in this industry. "Some have asked me if I will ever pursue a modelling career abroad, and the answer there is no," she continues. "For starters, I'm only 5'6, which means I'm too short, anyway. But I do enjoy it, particularly since fashion and modelling are a performance in their own way, and I'm attract- ed to anything that involves the arts. "In fact, I would like to encour- age young girls and boys to im- merse themselves in the arts, be it ballet, singing, drama, drawing, music, dance… whatever! There is so much one can learn from these, and you will see the world in a completely different light," she concludes. The Sleeping Beauty by the Brigitte Gauci Borda School of Dance will take place at the his- torical Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta on December 5 at 19:30 and on December 6 at 16:00. Tickets are available from the Booking Office at the Mediter- ranean Conference Centre and online from www.mcc.com.mt Jacqui Losco has been pursuing dance for the past 11 years "I will never forget how hard we all trained, but it was definitely worth it!"