- ♪ She's a dancing star
♪ She loves to twirl all day
♪ She's gonna go far
♪ That's the angelina way
♪ Follow your dreams wherever they take you ♪
♪ You can succeed
♪ Don't let anything shake you ♪
♪ Angelina
♪ Ballerina
♪ The little star with big dreams ♪
♪ Angelina
♪ Ballerina
♪ La, la, la-la
♪ La, la, la-la
♪ La, la, la-la
- I'm angelina ballerina,
And today ms. Mimi asked us all to do a special project.
- I would like you to make up a dance
About a mythical creature.
Then next week, you can all do your dances
In front of the class.
- Ms. Mimi, what does "mythical creature" mean?
- Well...
"Mythical" means something that appears in stories
And is make-believe.
"Creature" means a type of animal.
- So you want us to make up a dance
About a make-believe animal
That we've read about in a storybook?
- Exactly, angelina.
Now, I'd like you all
To get to work in groups of three.
- Hey, angelina, do you want to work with me?
- I'd absolutely, positively love to, viki,
But who can be our number three?
- [Clears throat]
- Alice, would you like to be in our group?
- Yeah, sure.
What sort of mythical creature can we be?
- Hmm.
- [Gasps] I know.
What about a unicorn,
With a horn on its head?
- That would be great.
We could do a really graceful unicorn dance.
- Absolutely.
- Or a dragon.
They are so awesome.
I saw a beautiful, amazing chinese dragon once.
- Was it in chipping cheddar?
- No, it was when I visited my cousin in san fran-cheese-co.
We went to chinatown.
- Was it dangerous?
- [Laughs]
It's not actually a dragon, alice.
It was lots of people doing a dragon dance.
- [Laughs] oh.
[Giggles]
- Hmm, a dragon does sound quite exciting,
But I'd like to do something graceful and flowing.
- Like a unicorn?
- Exactly.
- [Sighs]
But I wanted to do the dragon dance
I saw in san fran-cheese-co.
It was so amazing.
[Lively orchestral music]
♪
[Sighs]
♪
- Hmm.
- Oh, there it is.
Wondered where I left it.
[Gong crashes]
Ah!
- Nope, that's not right.
- What are you doing, marco?
- My group's doing an ogre dance.
I was trying to find a sound effect
For his big crashing feet.
- An ogre, that sounds scary.
- Hope so.
What mythical creature are you doing?
- A unicorn.
- A unicorn's a good idea.
- I guess so.
- So how are we going to do
Our graceful, galloping unicorn dance?
- Let's start by just doing some graceful moves.
- Yes, watch me flow.
[Lively orchestral music]
♪
- I still think the dragon dance would be a lot more exciting.
- But dragons stomp around, viki.
- And we want to do something graceful.
- But--
- The unicorn is galloping through a misty forest.
- But--
- Yes, with a long white mane.
- And a flowing tail.
- Were you saying something, viki?
- [Sighs]
I was saying I think I'll go downstairs
While you two work out the unicorn dance.
[Placid violin music]
♪
- Hello, viki.
How's your dance coming along?
- It's okay,
But I wanted to do the chinese dragon dance,
But angelina and alice want to be unicorns.
- Hmm, a chinese dragon dance does sound very interesting.
Maybe a little chinese music
Would help you change their minds.
[Clamorous music playing]
- Wow.
It's just like the music I heard in san fran-cheese-co.
Could I borrow this, mr. Mouseling?
- Of course, viki.
- Oh, thanks, mr. Mouseling.
- Try to keep up, alice.
- It's a lot harder than I thought
To be a unicorn, angelina.
- Just gallop gracefully, alice.
- Whoa.
- Whoa!
Oh, boy.
That part wasn't graceful at all.
[Laughter]
- Hey, mouselings.
Look what I've got.
- It's dad's music box.
- Listen to this chinese music.
This is what dragons dance to.
[Clamorous music playing]
- Oh, it's kind of squeaky.
- And kind of clangy.
- We couldn't be graceful unicorns
With music like this.
- Oh.
[Music stops]
- But thanks, viki.
That's given me an idea.
- It has? Great.
- We need to find some flowing music,
And then we'll work out our unicorn dance in no time.
- Oh.
♪
- So how's the dance going, viki?
- They think that dragons stomp around
And chinese music is squeaky.
[Sighs]
If only they'd understand
How beautiful chinese dragons can be.
- Maybe they just don't understand chinese dragons.
Here, why don't you show them this?
- Thanks, mr. Mouseling. I will.
- I'm getting kind of tired
Of trying to be a graceful unicorn.
- I know.
Being a graceful unicorn is trickier than I thought.
- Hey, unicorn dancers, I've got an idea.
- What is it, viki?
- Look, your dad showed me this book, angelina.
Let me tell you all about it. Please?
See?
Chinese mouselings perform this special dragon dance
Every chinese new year.
- Oh, why?
- If they perform this dance,
The fierce dragon will protect them
And bring them good luck.
- Can dragons be nice and fierce at the same time?
- Yes, they have to be fierce
So they can protect all the mouselings
And look out for them.
- Wow.
- How do chinese mouselings dance, exactly?
- The dancers join in a long line
With the dragon's head at the front
And the tail at the end.
And then the mouselings run along,
Dancing and swaying just like a dragon.
Both wow.
- And it looks really, really graceful.
- Can you show us how, viki?
- Of course.
But there's something we have to do first.
- The next day, viki came to school really early.
She had a lot to do.
[Enchanting flute music]
♪
- ♪ We swing and we sway
♪ Together all the way
♪ As we do a chinese dragon dance ♪
♪ We turn and we bend
♪ Together with our friends
♪ We do a chinese dragon dance ♪
♪
♪ Graceful and flowing
♪ All the while knowing
♪ The dragon will protect us from harm ♪
♪ As fierce as can be
♪ The dragon certainly
♪ Will be a mouseling good-luck charm ♪
♪
♪ We swing and we sway
♪ Together all the way
♪ As we do a chinese dragon dance ♪
♪ We turn and we bend
♪ Together with our friends
♪ We do a chinese dragon dance ♪
♪ Do a chinese dragon dance
What do you think, angelina?
- I think colorful dragons are great.
[Rapid rhythmic tapping]
♪
- Hey, marco, you know that gong you were showing me?
- Yes.
- Can you bring it to the lunchtime theater
In five minutes?
- So when do we get to start being the dragon?
- Look, here it is.
- Ah, but that dragon's huge.
[Laughter]
- Don't worry.
We're going to be
A chipping cheddar chinese dragon,
And it's a lot smaller.
- But ms. Mimi will still love it.
- So let's get started
On our very own chinese dragon dance.
- Absolutely, positively stupendous.
Soon it was time to show the whole class.
- We are now going to do a chinese dragon dance.
- I see.
You've been studying how chinese mouselings
Do their traditional dance.
- Yes, but we're doing a chipping cheddar version.
- Music, marco, please.
[Gong crashes]
[Clamorous music playing]
♪
[Roaring]
[Laughter]
[All roaring]
♪
[Gong crashes]
[Cheers and applause]
[Gong crashes]
[Cheers and applause]
[Laughter]
- Bravo.
Well done.
I think your mythical dragon has brought you good luck.
[Laughter]
- Now it's time to meet camembert's shining stars.
- My name is tiffany.
- I'm stefanie.
- I'm brittany.
- I'm lisa.
- We dance with the new york chinese cultural center.
[Clamorous music]
♪
- We're performing the lion dance.
This dance is over , years old,
And usually it's danced to celebrate during festivals.
♪
- The lions are played by two people.
One is the head, and one is the tail.
- They're good lions.
- The little girls play with the lion,
And all together we try to scare the evil spirits away
And bring in good luck.
♪
- When you first learn how to do a cartwheel,
You just can't stop.
The musicians,
They follow along as we go on in the dance.
♪
During more exciting parts in the dance,
The music gets louder.
♪
- My part in the dance is to tease the lion,
And the lion kind of scares me,
So I have to tease him back.
♪
I get to jump on the lion's back and ride on him.
Sometimes it's a little bit hard,
'Cause I have to jump high.
♪
- Chinese dance sometimes have acrobatics
To, like, make it feel, like, joyful.
♪
- It's fun,
And I love wearing makeup.
♪
- I'm angelina ballerina,
And I'm so excited because it's almost time
For this year's chipping cheddar cheese day.
- The best part about cheese day is the cheesecake bake-off.
- I like the cheese-rolling contest,
And I'm really good at it.
- Those are fun, but my absolute favorite event
Is the cheese wheel dance.
[Lively piano music]
♪
- Looking good, angelina.
- Let's all do the cheese wheel dance.
[Laughter]
- Bravo.
But now it's time to take your seats, class.
I'm happy to see that everyone's excited about cheese day.
- It's going to be cheese-tastic.
- But in addition to the fun and games,
There's another, very important part of cheese day.
- I know.
The presentation about cheese in chipping cheddar's history.
- And this year, our class has been given the honor
Of presenting it.
- The whole village will get to see us.
Stupendous.
- Now, there's lots to learn, so let's get started.
This was the biggest cheese sandwich
Ever made in chipping cheddar.
It was feet high.
- That's taller than my house.
- Here's main street, where we hold all our parades.
- And everyone throws cheesy bits like confetti.
- Did you know that the village's very first mayor
Started that tradition?
- That's right, marco.
- Giant sandwich?
Cheesy bits?
The first mayor?
There are so many facts to learn,
But I also have to learn my dance.
Ms. Mimi?
Maybe if we go and see the places
Where these things happened,
Learning about them will be easier.
- A field trip.
That's a wonderful idea.
On your toes, everyone.
Mrs. Thimble's store played a very important role
In chipping cheddar's history.
- How, ms. Mimi?
- It used to be a cheese store
Owned by one of our most famous residents
Arabella mozzarella.
- Arabella who?
- Mozzarella--
Chipping cheddar's most talented opera singer.
Come inside. We can learn more about her.
Hi, mrs. Thimble.
We're here to learn about arabella mozzarella.
- Of course. Right this way.
But no touching.
Here's arabella mozzarella performing in operas.
[Dramatic piano music]
♪
She practiced before each show right here in this very room.
- Legend is, arabella loved singing so much,
It was hard to get her to stop.
- [Sighs]
She looks like a famous actress
In a famous play.
- Operas are like plays.
In a play, the story is told with words.
In an opera, the story is told with music and dance.
- Here's arabella mozzarella singing an aria,
An opera song sung by just one person.
- ♪ Sing like an angel
♪ Tra-la-la-la-la, la-la
♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
♪ Sing like an angel
♪ Tra-la-la-la-la
♪ La-la
- How beautiful.
- Come.
We have a lot more history to learn.
Next stop is the park,
Where the first cheese day was held years ago.
- I wish I could stay here and listen to arabella all day.
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
I will now sing an amazing aria.
[Tranquil harp music]
♪ Years ago, or was it ♪
♪ Our parade was started by the mayor ♪
♪ And now they throw confetti down on main street ♪
♪ Or is it cheesy bits in the square ♪
♪ Oh, there's so much
♪ Too much
♪ Oh, so much history
[Applause]
- Angelina? Angelina?
- Yes, ms. Mimi?
- Come on.
- [Chuckles]
- The next stop on our tour was the park,
Where the first cheese day festival
Was held years ago.
Ms. Mimi even demonstrated the art of cheese rolling.
Then off to the main street cafe.
Here, the very first cheese danish
In chipping cheddar was made.
Yum. Can't wait till lunch.
And last of all, our field trip took us to the town hall,
Where the world's biggest cheese sandwich
Once towered above the steeple
And could be seen from miles around.
Wow, so much history in our little town.
I hope I can remember it all.
- What a fun field trip.
Now let's take our seats.
Now, class, how would you like to start the presentation?
- Let's talk about the very first cheese day.
- Good idea.
Now, does anyone remember how many years ago it was?
- Um...
Years ago?
- No.
That was when they threw the cheesy bits.
- There's just so much.
I wish I could remember history like dance steps.
- Ooh!
Well, I'm not having any trouble remembering.
- But, angelina, I bet you can remember the name
Of chipping cheddar's famous opera singer.
- Right.
Was it...
Arabella gorgonzola?
- Pamela parmesan?
- Felicia feta?
- Oh, dear.
- Oh, maybe I am having a little trouble remembering.
- Don't worry. We can do it.
Let's review the facts.
- Can't we review the cheese wheel dance instead?
- Here's when the village's first fountain
Started spouting melted cheese.
- It seems like the more ms. Mimi teaches us,
The less I can remember.
♪ Arabella's parents owned a cheese store ♪
♪ The mayor, he threw cheesy bits just like confetti ♪
- Angelina, this is no time to sing--
Wait a second. Let me hear that again.
- ♪ Arabella's parents owned a cheese store ♪
♪ The mayor, he threw cheesy bits just like confetti ♪
- That's right.
The mayor did throw cheesy bits as confetti.
- I remembered because it was part
Of a song and dance I made up
About some of the things you were telling us.
- You're right.
Arabella mozzarella's parents did own a cheese store.
- And that's where arabella practiced singing opera.
- Once she started singing, no one could stop her.
- Hey, that kind of rhymed.
- Rhymes are easy to remember.
- That gives me an idea.
Maybe we should do an opera.
- Why, that's a great idea.
Opera is part of the village's history.
- Plus, we already thought of some of the words.
- And we can come up with more.
I think we should sing about cheese day.
- ♪ It's the biggest day for chipping cheddar ♪
- ♪ We hold a contest here for rolling cheese ♪
- Stupendous.
And our opera will go with our cheese wheel dance.
- ♪ Camembert's my favorite, if you please ♪
[Laughter]
- Hey, it sounds like we're singing opera right now.
- Yes, it does.
You're having a conversation in song,
Just like an opera.
- Let's write all these ideas down,
Then come up with some more.
[Upbeat music]
♪
- It's finally cheese day.
- And look, my dad is in the finals
For the cheese-rolling contest.
- Looks like your mom's got a big cheesecake
In the bake-off.
- I'm sure she'll win.
Her cheesecake is super yummy.
- It's almost time.
Is everyone ready for the opera?
All we're ready!
[Drumroll]
[Fanfare]
♪ A story that we love
♪ The cheese of chipping cheddar ♪
♪
- ♪ Oh, you should have seen it there ♪
♪ With cheese right in between it, yes ♪
♪ A sandwich that was feet high ♪
- ♪ It could feed , people and was taller than a steeple ♪
- ♪ Yes, the sandwich that could almost touch the sky ♪
♪ The sandwich that could almost touch the sky ♪
♪
[Quirky harpsichord music]
- ♪ I lived in a cheese shop so many years ago ♪
♪ I'm chipping cheddar's famous opera singer ♪
♪ Don't you know
♪ I'm arabella mozzarella
♪ My voice will make you shiver ♪
♪ Arabella mozzarella
♪ I'm your favorite diva
[Fanfare]
All ♪ oh, we're so proud
♪ So proud of all our history ♪
♪
[Cheers and applause]
- They really liked it.
- And it was easy to memorize all those cheese facts.
- Bravo.
- You know what we get to do now, don't you?
- The cheese wheel dance.
Come on, everyone.
[Quirky music]
♪
[Laughter]
Hello, I'm angelina ballerina.
My friends are performing the chinese lion dance.
Two performers are needed for each costume
One for the head and one for the tail.
I wonder how the dancers know
How to jump and roll at the same time.
They told me the lion's heads are made of papier-mache,
And a boy lion wears a red bow,
While a girl lion wears a green one.
But I think she should wear a pink bow,
Like mine.
[Giggles]
- Hola, marco here.
I know what that is. It's a marimba.
Marimbas were first made in africa and latin america.
They hit the wood blocks with the mallets,
And those tubes underneath help make that cool sound.
Marimba is a percussion instrument.
A drum is another kind of percussion instrument,
Like the one I have here.
You hit it. That's how it makes sound.
Magnifico.
I wonder if they'd let me play my steel drum with them.
We'd make a great trio.
06x10 - Angelina and the Dragon Dance / Angelina's Opera
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British childrens series about Angelina Mouseling, a young mouse who loves dancing ballet, her family, and her classmates.
British childrens series about Angelina Mouseling, a young mouse who loves dancing ballet, her family, and her classmates.