Cork kids to perform at Disneyland Paris

STUDENTS from a performing arts school in Cork will be taking to the main stage at Disneyland Paris tomorrow to entertain the masses in what is expected to be a colourful display of passion and creativity.

Talented youngsters in The Aileen Coffey Academy (The ACA) in Blackpool were chosen back in 2020 to perform but, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, their dream trip was scuppered two weeks before they were due to fly.

Three years later, following another audition, a group from the school are set to touch down in Paris today ahead of their performance tomorrow.

The group of more than 40 who will be performing is made up of both current and former students.

“Some students who would have done their Leaving Cert and graduated from the stage school have come back because they didn’t get the chance to do their graduation show and they didn’t get the chance to go to Disney,” director of the school, Aileen Coffey, told The Echo. 

The performance, which is just shy of 20 minutes, will give a short synopsis of the story of The Lion King told through dance.

“Basically, you had to do a minimum of a 15-minute performance.

“We chose to do a Lion King theme so we’re doing a full-on 19-minute Lion King dance routine and we’re taking a lot of tracks from the movie and the musical and we’re basically kind of telling the story from the beginning right through to the end through dance and with the different characters,” Ms Coffey explained.

Saturday’s performance will be the culmination of months of hard work.

“They’ve really, really put the work in over the last couple of months. They’ve given up all their Sundays — they’ve been in rehearsals every Sunday morning at 9am,” Ms Coffey said.

“They are so dedicated. I’m so lucky with the amazing students that I have.”

Ms Coffey also paid tribute to teachers at the school and parents of the students for their support as well as the Glen Resource Centre where rehearsals for the Disney performance have been taking place.

“We’ve been using their hall because the stage in Disneyland is absolutely massive, so we needed a really, really big space. And it’s actually still bigger than the big basketball court up in the Glen!”

As final rehearsals took place during the week, excitement was building, with the students said to be “buzzing” ahead of their trip to Paris, where they will also get a chance to unwind and explore the amusement park.

“They’ll get three days in the park enjoying themselves which they really deserve,” Ms Coffey said.

Returning to Cork on Sunday, some students will be straight back into rehearsals next week for their upcoming performances in Cork Arts Theatre.

“My 11 to 13/14 bracket come back on Sunday night and then we go into the Cork Arts Theatre on Monday for a rehearsal for our musical, Red Riding Hood,” Ms Coffey said.