The Australian Institute of Classical Dance held its 2012 International Ballet Awards on October 6 and 7 at the Michael Murray Centre for Performing Arts at Westminster School in Adelaide. Open to dancers 15 years and over, entrants came from all over Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan. The heats of the competition were held on Saturday 6 October with Ballet Master from the Houston Ballet Academy 11 USA, Claudio Munoz, taking three classes on stage during the day. These classes were followed by performances from each of the 62 entrants of a repertoire variation and a contemporary solo.
Seventeen finalists progressed from day one to the second stage of the competition and attended class on Sunday. The program on the final day also included a performance of a contemporary pas de deux choreographed by Stanton Welch (Artistic Director of the Houston Ballet and son of Marilyn Jones) by Houston Ballet Academy 11 dancers Michael Ryan and Bridget Kuhns. Australian Ballet School graduates Alexander Idaszak and Courtney McKeown also performed a pas de deux from Les Sylphides.
The adjudicators for the competition were former Australian Ballet Principals Marilyn Jones OBE, Director of the Australian Institute of Classical Dance and David McAllister AM, Artistic Director of the Australian Ballet along with Leigh Warren, Artistic Director of Leigh Warren and Dancers.
Impressed with the high standard of competition, the adjudicators awarded first place to fifteen year old Montana Rubin, from the Dance Spot in Sydney. Montana won $7,500 donated by the AICD along with a $500 voucher from Bloch. Second place was awarded to Harry Churches, age 16, from Alegria in Sydney ($2,000 and a Bloch voucher to the value of $250), with third place going to Belle Beasley, age 16, from the National College of Dance, Newcastle ($1,000 and Bloch voucher to value of $150).
Encouragements Awards of $500 were awarded to Vanessa Morrelli (20), a student at Ballet Theatre Australia in Melbourne, Kelsey Stokes (16), from Prudence Bowen Atelier, Gold Coast and Sharlene Roberts (16) from The National College of Dance, Newcastle.
Hailed as Australia’s answer to the Prix de Lausanne, the prestigious ballet competition held each year in Switzerland, former AICD winners including Satoko Konishi (second place 2009 and now dancing with the Houston Ballet) have gone on to international ballet careers.
- Michelle Dursun
Claudio Munoz, Ballet Master with the Houston Ballet Academy 11, and finalists. Photos: Matt Shannon of SE Productions