AUSTRALIAN Ballet star Corey Herbert has added singing and acting to her repertoire to help her land a role in a new production.
Ms Herbert, a Seaford resident who grew up in Dingley Village and Parkdale, is a coryphée with The Australian Ballet. The revered ballet company has teamed up with GWB Productions to stage An American in Paris, a musical based on a Gene Kelly film from 1951.
Ms Herbert has a dancing role and understudies for the female lead. With ballet typically being a silent medium, she says she has had to find her voice to tackle her new role.
“We’ve been thrown in the deep end. I haven’t sung much since I was 10-years-old doing song and dances, I never delved into singing as a craft. It’s been a huge learning journey, and it’s been incredible having the two worlds of dancers and singers collide,” she said. “In ballet we are mute, but this is a whole other world. We get to use our voices.
“It’s been exciting to co-produce this musical, the leads do a lot of ballet so it made sense. From the start a group of dancers were selected, from then we went into vocal auditions, then we were chosen to be a part of this musical. We had some leadup rehearsals in acting and singing, we were coached and trained, and we had six weeks of rehearsal to learn with the rest of the company. It’s been a completely new world.”
As a young child, Ms Herbert first became interested in singing and dancing to mimic her sister. She has turned that into a successful career, having spent the last eight years with The Australian Ballet.
“I started dancing following in my older sister’s footsteps. I did jazz, tap, song, and dance. I realised as I hit ten years old that I wanted to take ballet seriously, and that dream evolved to go into full time dance. In Year 8 I went to the Victorian College of the Arts, and then I auditioned and got in at the Australian Ballet School. Then after four years of training I was offered a position with The Australian Ballet,” she said.
After getting a taste of the musical theatre world, Ms Herbert is keen to try some more. “I’ve got the bug,” she said. “It helps that the cast are incredible, open, and loving people. I have a newfound addiction.”
An American in Paris is being performed at the State Theatre until 23 April.
For tickets visit artscentremelbourne.com.au/whats-on/2022/musical/an-american-in-paris
