Australian Ballet at Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre

"I remember it was cold, I know that much," he laughs. "And it was a really lovely theatre there. I'm excited to get back to the theatre."

Mr Knobloch will return to the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre as The Australian Ballet's regional tour hits the Central Tablelands after travelling to the Riverina.

And though his role is different these days - as ballet repetiteur, he is a coach of the dancers and will be passing on some of his knowledge to local youngsters this weekend - he will be back during the winter, so the weather won't have changed.

"We try to bring dance to a lot of communities that otherwise wouldn't have that opportunity," he said of the philosophy behind the regional tour.

Country audiences are generally "so appreciative", he said.

"I guess for the ballet to come to their city or their community is quite different from the big cities, where it's kind of an annual season or you know it's going to happen."

Before the performance itself this Saturday night, a "class on tour" event (in which locals will be able to watch the dancers train) and a youth masterclass will be held at BMEC on Saturday afternoon.

"There's quite a bubbling scene in dance in the country and in different communities, which has been really nice, and there's a lot of local talent that also comes out," Mr Knobloch said.

"You never know when that person might be the future principal of the Australian Ballet."

Mr Knobloch said he offers "another voice and another eye to help inspire them [young dancers in the areas the ballet visits] and hopefully allow them to continue their training".

"There's a lot of talent that comes out of Bathurst as well. We've had people that have started from Bathurst and been in the company in the past."

Former St Stanislaus' College student Garry Stocks, as an example, started tap dancing when he was seven and, when he was 15, packed his bags, headed to Melbourne and joined the Australian Ballet School.

He ended up securing a contract with the Australian Ballet Company four years later.

"I think ballet is one of the better dance jobs out there. I'm on a 12-month contract year to year, travelling around the world, enjoying doing what I love," Mr Stocks told the Western Advocate in 2010.

In terms of Saturday night's performance, Mr Knobloch said it will be a triple-header.

"It's a great program; a very diverse program," he said.

"We've got three ballets. It's headed by The Sleeping Beauty. And then we have a brand new commission by Stephanie Lake, which is called Circle Electric. And then there's another production of The Vow.

"So it's a triple bill. There's something for everyone in this program, which is super exciting."

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And he's hoping the visit will leave more than just memories.

"It allows the dancers to know that we all have humble beginnings and where we start from and we have that opportunity to come back to those places and inspire the next generation," he said.

Visit the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre website for more information on the Australian Ballet performance and the class on tour and youth masterclass events.

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