The Royal Academy of Dance's Jacqueline Morland Awards, the annual flagship awards for Queensland, were held in St John’s Anglican College Auditorium on Sunday March 19 in Brisbane. More than 170 students entered the competition, and a further 125 performed in the dance performance groups in the non-competitive section.
All competitors took part in an open class on stage. For the finals, the students were required to perform their chosen exam dance or variation from the relevant exam they had completed in 2022. Advanced 1 and Advanced 2 finalists also performed the contemporary solo they were taught over the weekend.
Aside from the benefiting from the wonderful experience of taking part in the event, all competitors were in line for a range of generous cash prizes, scholarships and gift vouchers from the sponsors, with the highest level (Advanced 1 & 2) having a first prize of $1200.
And the winners were:
Grade 4
Winner: Maci Smith, a pupil of the Sunshine Coast Conservatory of Dance, and Classical Coaching Australia
Runner Up: Lila Forkes - The Dance Centre Peregian Springs
Encouragement Award: Xirui Xu - Queensland Dance Centre
Grade 5
Winner: Hani Green - Prima Youth Classical Academy
Runner Up: Jasmine Bowker - The Dance Centre Peregian Springs
Encouragement Award: Evangeline Smith – Promenade Dance Studio
Intermediate Foundation
Winner: Camryn Warry - Prima Youth Classical Academy
Runner Up: Chloe Hough - Annette Roselli Dance Academy
Encouragement Award: Paton Still - Annette Roselli Dance Academy
Artistry Award from these levels
Callum Lehman - Promenade Dance Studio
Intermediate
Winner: Amy Westcott - The Dance Centre Peregian Springs
Runner Up: Jessica Cooper - Classical Coaching Australia
Encouragement Award: Emily Buckley - Debra Whitten School of Dance
Advanced Foundation
Winner: Yamina Yehoshua - The Dance Centre Peregian Springs
Runner Up: Hannah Saito - Prima Youth Classical Academy
Encouragement Award: Caitlin Volker - Sayers Dance Centre
Advanced 1 and 2
Winner: Emily Sprout - Prima Youth Classical Academy
Runner Up: Summer Edgley - BMC Coaching
Encouragement Award:Lila McGrath - Classical Coaching Australia
Artistry Award from these levels
Pippa Moore - Classical Coaching Australia
SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
Sydney Dance Company
One-week secondment within the Pre-Professional Year (x2)
Ava Harris - Annette Roselli Dance Academy
Annabella Seccombe - Atelier Australia
New Zealand School of Dance
One week Training Scholarship
Zane Robinson - Karen Ireland school of dance
Australian Ballet School
One week Summer School Scholarship
Hani Green - Prima Youth Classical Academy
Australian Ballet School
One week Training Scholarship
Yamina Yehoshua - The Dance Centre Peregian Springs
Academy of Music and Performing Arts, NSW
One-week Training with Bachelor of Arts Students
Mikayla Stebbing - Arête Arts
Queensland Ballet Academy
Ballet Scholarship (x2)
Yamina Yehoshua - The Dance Centre Peregian Springs
Hannah Saito - Prima Youth Classical Academy
Queensland Ballet Academy
Transitional Course (x2)
Isobel Woodward - Annette Roselli Dance Academy
Mikayla Stebbing - Arête Arts
RAD Regional Manager Nadia Parker says of the event:
"The Jacqueline Morland Awards were a great success over the weekend. The adjudicators, Matthew Lawrence and Lucinda Dunn, were so impressed with the dancers we have here in QLD and were so grateful to their teachers and families for training and supporting them. The buzz in the venue was great, and everyone who performed – candidates, finalists and dance performance groups - were excellent. Congratulations to everyone! "
Sponsors were PW Dance, Energetiks, Capezio and Bloch.