20 June 2022 13:16

Congratulations to the WA Festival of Dance 2022 Winners

The WA Festival of Dance 2022 yet again delighted audiences in Freemantle over the Queen’s Birthday weekend in June. For five days, dancers from across the state came together to compete for a range of prestigious scholarships, culminating in a wonderful Gala evening of performances.

Participants had the opportunity to impress this year’s adjudicators David McAllister AC, Polly Hilton, Scott Elstermann, Justin Rutzou and Denise Nunn following class with special guest teachers Melissa McCabe and Sarah Hepburn and learning choreography by Brooke Leeder and Storm Helmore.

The Gala excitement was hightened by performances by special guests West Australian Ballet’s Nikki Blain and Ludovico De Ubaldo who performed Matthew Lehmann’s Truth, as well as students from Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts 2nd and 3rd years who entertained us with the Girlfriend Dance from Coppelia.

Congratulations to this year’s major scholarship winners including:

• Evelyn Hodgkinson Scholarship (10-12 years) recipient Maia Kim from The Graduate College of Dance
• Gay Cruickshank Scholarship (13-14 years) recipient Amelia Marson from Youth Ballet WA
• Joan Stacy Scholarship (15-16 years) recipient Isabella Lockyer from The Graduate College of Dance
• Linley Wilson Scholarship recipient Sonja Braunl from The Graduate College of Dance

This year’s ensemble performance award, The David McAllister Cup was awarded to Youth Ballet WA.

Major prizes were also awarded to the following male and female identifying dancers:

• Junior Female Dancer Award Maia Kim The Graduate College of Dance
• Junior Male Dancer Award Rhett Davies Perth Classical and Contemporary Coaching
• Senior Female Dancer Award Isabella Lockyer The Graduate College of Dance
• Senior Male Dancer Award Daniel Cruden Pevnev Ballet Academy

For a full list of winners in all categories download the 2022 Festival Prize Recipients list here.

Our congratulations to all those who took home prizes but also to all the candidates who took part and their teachers for their hardwork in preparing them.

Our sincere thanks to all our Festival event sponsors as well as our national student activities sponsors