While a troupe of exhausted dancers will head back to a hotel following Friday night's opening of The Merry Widow in Canberra, the star of the show will take great delight in sleeping in her old bedroom in south Canberra.
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Ballerina Lana Jones is back in the ACT to play the role of Hanna Glawari, the Merry Widow herself, in the Australian Ballet's version of the classic dance piece. The Merry Widow opens at Canberra Theatre on Friday night.
Jones has been home for the past three days for rehearsals and tech runs ahead of the Canberra season, and is loving driving home via Yamba Drive at the end of long and exhausting days.
"It's great to be home, it's so nice to be able to share what I love and everything I've been doing for such a long time with my family," Jones said.
No-one is loving having their daughter home more than Jones's parents - Alan and Wendy - especially since their boisterous little grandson Velasco is in town with his dancing mother.
"They're in heaven but they're tired," Jones laughed.
For the Canberra season of The Merry Widow, Jones is sharing the lead role of Hanna Glawari with another local dancer - Queanbeyan's Dimity Azoury. Jones grew up studying ballet at Betsy Sawyers Ballet School, while Azoury was a talented student of the Kim Harvey School of Dance.
Both dancers moved to Melbourne at the age of just 15 to join The Australian Ballet School.
Jones said having her family and friends in the front row on Friday night for the Canberra opening would be "amazing but nerve racking".
"It's always so special to have mum and dad in the audience - they see nearly everything I do, but it always feels nice when they come," she said.
"Although there is always that added pressure of dancing well."
The Merry Widow, 25-30 May, Canberra Theatre Centre. For further information and tickets head to www.canberratheatrecentre.com.au
