The Sydney Eisteddfod Ballet Scholarship is always one of the biggest events in the ballet calendar, and with it being cancelled for two years running, the anticipation for this year's event is high.
Out of the nearly 200 entrants, eight of the most promising young Australian ballet dancers have been selected to compete in the Final, which will take place at the Sydney Opera House on Sunday 28 August at 2.30pm.
Each year, the Sydney Eisteddfod Ballet Scholarship attracts emerging young ballet dancers aged 16-20 from across Australia and New Zealand. This year young dancers represented regional and metro areas from NSW, QLD, VIC, ACT and WA.
This prestigious scholarship has been shooting stars into leading ballet companies worldwide for decades, among them, Leanne Stojmenov and Adam Bull of the Australian Ballet and Steven McRae and Alexander Campbell of the Royal Ballet.
This year’s finalists are Amelia Soh (Mosman Dance Academy and Sydney Ballet School), Noah Cosgriff (Jane Moore Ballet Academy, Vic), Joseph Dufty (National College of Dance, NSW), LilySophia Dashwood (Jane Moore Ballet Academy, Vic), Chelsea Potter (Newcastle Dance Academy, NSW), Emily Sprout (Prima Youth Classical Academy, Qld), Tahlia Kirke (Atelier Australia, Qld), and Ben Moss (Alegria Dance Centre, NSW).
Two contestants were also chosen as reserve finalists: Sylas Grimsley and Isabella Crebert.
The adjudicators were Christian Tátchev, Director of Queensland Ballet Academy, and Lisa Pavane, Director of the Australian Ballet School, chose the finalists from heats, a quarter-final and a closed semi-final masterclass held over a few days. They will be joined for the Final by Li Cunxin AO, Artistic Director of Queensland Ballet, and Aurélien Scannella, Artistic Director of the West Australian Ballet.
This scholarship has a total prize value of $32,000.
The finalists will share the stage with eight of the best from the Jazz Dance Groups section of the Sydney Eisteddfod, making for an entertaining show. For those who can't make it to the Opera House, the Sydney Eisteddfod has partnered with Australian Digital Concert Hall in 2022 and will be streaming the finals live.
Look out for our expert coverage on this website!
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Photos provided by the Sydney Eisteddfod.