Inaugural Australian Ballet School Scholarships
On the Queen's Birthday long weekend, 165 aspiring ballet dancers from all over Australia as well as New Zealand converged at the Australian Ballet School in Melbourne. The occasion was the Australian Ballet School's inaugural scholarship awards, a weekend of masterclasses, coaching and performing culminating in a presentation at the State Theatre at Art Centre Melbourne.
The awards consist of three "supreme" scholarships, consisting of one year's full-time tuition at the School, and six runner-up prizes of a "two-week training opportunity". The awards were instigated by the artistic director Lisa Pavane, who was inspired by the idea of bringing together all those who wanted to join the Australian Ballet School in one big event.
The students performed before an illustrious judging panel consisting of ABS staff as well as some illustrious guests: American Ballet Theatre principal artist David Hallberg, and former Australian Ballet soloist Elizabeth Toohey (now rehearsal director and rehabilitation mistress with Royal Swedish Ballet and a guest teacher with the Australian Ballet for six weeks).
There were eight finalists in three age groups, who each performed a classical solo of their own choice.
The winner of the supreme scholarship in the 10 to 12 age group was Mio Bayly, from the Anita Coutts School of Dance in Ballarat, Vic. Equal runners-up were Alfie Shacklock, from the Dance Centre, Peregian Springs in Qld, and Samantha Wong, from the Denise Utz School of Dance in Gladesville, NSW.
The winner of the 13 to 14 age group was Larissa Kiyoto-Ward, from the Mt Eden Ballet Academy in New Zealand. Equal runners-up were Annabelle Watt, from Classical Coaching Australia in Qld, and Hugo Dumapit, from the MacDonald College in Sydney.
The winner of the supreme scholarship in the 15- to 17-year-old age group was Jett Ramsay, from Extreme Dance Studios in Port Macquarie, NSW. The runners up were Heidi Freeman, from KC's School of Dance in Warragul, Vic, and Isabella Wagar, from the Jane Moore Academy of Ballet in Glen Iris in Melbourne.
A number of discretionary awards were also given: to Isabella Smith (West Australian School of Dance, Greenwood, WA), Hayley Kirkwood (Amanda Bollinger Dance Academy, Qld), Phillippa Crawley (Ballarat Ballet Centre) and Olivia Moore (Dance Education Centre, NZ).
Aside from performances by these talented students, the evening featured a presentation of the Raymonda Grand Pas, presented by ABS students, and the Black Swan pas de deux from Swan Lake, performed by Ako Kondo and Chenwu Guo from the Australian Ballet, and demonstrating all the accomplishment to which the young contestants aspire. - KAREN VAN ULZEN
Photos by BELINDA STRODDER