PINETOWN resident Leame Hattingh (taught by Michèle Pope du Preez and Hayley Turner Howie) took home the title of the Cecchetti Mabel Ryan Medal Award, an annual event which took place on Sunday 15 September at Highbury Preparatory School this year.
The award takes the form of the presentation of a medal to the most promising candidate at the Grade 5 level in the current examination year.
To be eligible for the award, candidates must have achieved 75 per cent or higher in their Grade 5 ballet examination and be under the age of 15 years old.
This year, there were 11 eligible candidates who performed a class consisting of syllabus and non-syllabus work. The class was presented by Cecchetti teacher, Chantel Jacobs and accompanied by Eirene Candy, the official Cecchetti pianist in KZN.
The 11 candidates were from various studios in Durban and Pietermaritzburg. The Mabel Ryan Medal was won by Gelofte Skool pupil, Leame Hattingh .
The two runners-up were Phillipa McCann (taught by Karen Drake and Gaynor Harris) and Isabella Redman (taught by Lucinda Stanley and Gemma Crawley).
Mabel Ryan was a South African who went to study ballet in England and ultimately taught the juniors for Margaret Craske (who was trained by maestro Enrico Cecchetti himself). During this time, Mabel Ryan nurtured and encouraged many other South Africans.
After she died, the Mabel Ryan Award was created in her memory and is awarded throughout the world where the Cecchetti Method is taught.
