Local dancers are ‘en pointe’
Six dancers from the dance studio have continued to make waves among the dance fraternity.
DANCERS from the local KZN Dance Academy have achieved great success in the art and six of them will make their way overseas to dance in various summer schools and dance companies while one will join the South African Ballet Company. Last year, Phillipa McCannm, a multi-award winner, was accepted into the English National Ballet School in London.
She auditioned in Johannesburg for the International Cecchetti Classical Ballet Competition in Florence, Italy in 2017 and was one of three South Africans selected to attend.
There she received a full year scholarship to attend the School of Alberta Ballet in Canada, an invitation and scholarship to attend the final adjudication for the Youth of America Grand Prix in New York City and a two-week scholarship by the Australian Ballet School in July 2018.
Phillipa was the winner of the International Cyril Beaumont Bursary Competition in December 2017 and was again one of the three finalists.
At this competition, she was awarded a scholarship to attend the two-week English National Ballet School Summer Intensive in London. She was invited by David Yow, a tutor at the English National Ballet School, to attend the final audition for a three-year full-time course at the school. She was accepted into this dance programme.
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Also a finalist in the Cyril Beaumont Competition in December 2017 was Isabella Redman.
In 2018, she studied for and was awarded her teacher’s qualifying examination, and was the winner of the Dorothea McNair Trophy for an outstanding qualifying examination. She has been accepted into the Cape Town City Ballet Company’s Graduate programme.
Leah Allen and Alexandra Lawson were accepted to dance in the English National Ballet School’s Summer Intensive in 2018, a two-week gruelling dance course. They returned to South Africa more determined than ever to pursue their dreams of dancing professionally.
This year, Leah was invited to attend the final auditions for Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham, England and the Academy of Dance, Oslo National Academy of the Arts, Norway. Her audition at Elmhurst was successful.
Alexandra Lawson was accepted by the Northern Ballet School in Manchester, England to start dancing with them in September. She also submitted her audition DVD to the Norwegian National Ballet School in Oslo, Norway and was invited to audition for their three-year BA in ballet.
Thomas Larché was selected from a large pool of national and international students for the Boston Ballet School’s two-week Summer Dance Programme at the Newton Studio.
Megan Beyers and Megan De Oliveira were selected to dance at the three-week Summer School at The Sarasota Ballet, Florida. The two Megans will dance in a final performance at the Florida State University Performing Arts Centre.
The academy is a registered PBO and NPO and will issue Section 18A(1)(a) Tax Exemption Certificates for donations made.
To make a donation, contact Margie Marnewick on 083 775 1517 or email kznda@mweb.co.za.
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