On Sunday 4 August the annual McDonald’s Ballet Scholarship and Open Jazz Dance Group Finals played out to their final conclusion in front of a large audience at the Sydney Opera House. In this, Sydney Eisteddfod’s 80th anniversary year the McDonald’s Ballet Scholarship attracted a record 174 entrants from all over Australia and the Open Jazz Dance Group section was hotly contested as usual. Ballet Scholarship adjudicators Marilyn Jones OBE and Andris Toppe were joined on the night by David McAllister AM, while Luke Alleva and Joshua Horner judged the jazz groups. The results were as follows.
McDonald’s Ballet Scholarship Winners:
1st Scholarship – Caleb Durbin (NSW) National College of Dance
2nd Scholarship – Kiely Groenewegen (VIC) Australian Conservatoire of Ballet
Finalists:
- Belle Beasley (NSW) National College of Dance
- Joshua Denyer (NSW) Ecole Ballet and Dance Theatre
- Jessica Allison-Walker (VIC) Prudence Bowen’s Atelier, Gold Coast
- Nathan Mennis (QLD) taught by Martyn Fleming
- Alysha Martignago (QLD) taught by Janine McGrath
- Tyson Powell (VIC) Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School
For the first time this year a ‘Performance Award’ was offered by the Australian Conservatoire of Ballet which gives the recipient/s a paid opportunity to perform in the ACB’s full length ballet performances at the Victorian Arts Centre in December. The winners were:
- Caleb Durbin (NSW) National College of Dance
- Jessica Allison-Walker (VIC) Prudence Bowen’s Atelier, Gold Coast
Open Jazz Dance Group Winners and finalists (all from NSW):
1st – Brent Street C
2nd – Dubbo Ballet Studio
3rd – Dance Junction
Finalists:
- Capital Performance Studios
- Brent Street B
- Lee Academy
- National College of Dance
- Smash Studios
Watch out for our full report in Dance Australia’s Oct/Nov issue!
Kiely Groenewegen. PhotoL WinkiPop Media.