Sixteen-year-old Courtney Macmillan, of Reedy Creek, Qld, has been named the outright winner of the $18,000 Sydney Eisteddfod McDonald’s Ballet Scholarship.
Courtney, who will commence training at the Royal Ballet Upper School in September, studies with Suzanne Way at Professional Classical Ballet Coaching in Tweed Heads, NSW.
Dann Wilkinson, also 16, received the second scholarship of $12,000. He studies with Brett Morgan at the National College Dance, Newcastle,
The two dancers had strong competition from the other six finalists: Kymberleigh Cowly (Inverell), Amy Hihata (Hornsby), Lawrence Lambert (Aberdare), Gina-Marie Leathem (Pimpama, Qld); Hayley Page (Avalon) and Chloe Webb (Rouse Hill). There were 59 competitors altogether.
The adjudicators were Karen Donovan, former principal of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, Wim Broeckx, artistic president of the Prix de Lausanne, and David McAllister, artistic director of the Australian Ballet, who joined the others in the final decision.
The McDonald’s Ballet Scholarship is one of the highlights of the Sydney Eisteddfod and was held on Sunday July 31 at the Sydney Opera House.