Mandurah local Catrin Lewis is set to make her professional debut on stage in Handa Opera's Phantom of the Opera on Sydney Harbour. The 20-year-old dancer, who was born in Wales and raised in Mandurah, will perform in the ballet ensemble for the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic, which runs from March 27 to May 3.
Lewis began dance classes at age four and trained in Perth at Vanguard Performing Arts and later MatrixPro Academy full-time before moving to Sydney at 17 to complete her training at Village Nation Performing Arts. She said her training in Perth was the best stepping stone for her move across the country.
“Being so small, I was excited to venture into a new city with more opportunity and more people who love the things I do,” Lewis said. “It really helped me get my skill level up but it was my move to Sydney that put everything in place.”
Lewis auditioned for her role last September and received the news in November while her parents were visiting her in Sydney. “I was lucky enough that my parents were in Sydney with me; I found out only hours before they flew home,” she said. “It was the best feeling. And even better that we all got to find out together.”
Rehearsals are yet to begin, but Lewis is excited to start her first professional experience. “I’m really excited to get to know the cast. There’s some really incredible people involved in the show that I can’t wait to work alongside,” she said. “Also getting to work on a stage that’s not just a standard theatre but a massive, outdoor stage. The fact that I get to dance under the stars at Sydney Harbour every night is going to be incredible. I’m so excited for the whole experience.”
