When Andrea Haddon (20) travelled to England, in June, she would never have guessed that she’d soon be a Disney princess.
Andrea, a born-and-bred Albemarle girl, went to England to compete in a dance competition.
“I went to England for the Freestyle World Championships, where I placed third,” she explained.
“I decided to stay for another six weeks after the competition, to dance, perform, audition and try to book some jobs.
“I ended up going to the Euro Disney auditions, which were held at Pineapple Dance Studio.”
The audition process took a full day, but it proved to be worth it when, two weeks later, Andrea received a call inviting her to be Euro Disney’s Cinderella.
“I have a three month trial period contract; if I enjoy it I can stay at Euro Disney for up to a year,” she said.
“The job opportunity is amazing. It’s not available to many South Africans, as they don’t hold auditions here.”
Andrea briefly explained her princess duties: “It’s all about the character, so whenever they need a Cinderella I will dress-up as her and interact with the guests.”
She added that though there is some dancing her position focuses on bringing Cinderella to life.
“I feel the character will open a lot more doors for me than dancing alone would have,” Andrea said.
“Once you are in Paris you can audition for any job you like.”
Andrea, who has been dancing at Diana Moore Dance World, in Lambton, since she was three, hopes to one day perform on stage as a top dancer or back-up dancer for a superstar.
The talented dancer has won several titles, including Dancer of the Year, at this year’s Supreme Dancer of the Year event, hosted by Diana Moore Dance World.
Andrea will be kept busy with dance work, dance training and spending time with her family before she jets off to Paris on January 27.
“I will also be soaking up the sun and heat, as it is so cold there,” she said with a laugh.
Andrea’s family, who have supported her every step of the way, couldn’t be prouder of her.
Her mother and twin sister will travel to Paris with her, to help her settle into her new home.
Andrea cannot wait to take a little South African flare to Europe.
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