29 October 2024 09:47
RAD Australia is pleased to announce the winners of the 2024 Kathleen Gorham Memorial Awards. The awards ceremony, held on Sunday, 27 October in Melbourne was a tremendous success, showcasing the exceptional talent and dedication of young dancers. Adjudicated by renowned dance experts Lisa Pavane, Former Director at The Australian Ballet School and Jarryd Madden, Senior Artist at The Australian Ballet, the event was a true celebration of dance. We were grateful to have photographer Belinda Strodder in attendance throughout the day to capture the event.
With National Director, Shelley Yacopetti also in attendance she said:
“ It was an absolute pleasure to be at the 41st Kathleen Gorham Memorial Awards this year. What an outstanding day of superb performances by Victorian students, their talent and enjoyment of dance was evident for all to see. Lisa and Jarryd’s expert adjudication included very generous and thoughtful words of advice for the dancers and compliments to their teachers. Congratulations to all involved.”
We want to congratulate the winners on the day and all participants who showcased such confidence in their performance and strength in their technique. We are always so pleased to celebrate dance and recognise the talent in our communities with the prestigious awards recognising the outstanding achievements of dancers in various grades. We are grateful for the ongoing support of our local and national Sponsors, whose generous support allows us to host these events.
The results are as follows:
Intermediate Foundation
| WINNERS | NAME | DANCE SCHOOL |
| First Place | Claudia Westrup | The National Theatre Ballet School |
| Runner-Up | Poppy Hayes | Expressions Ballet Academy |
| Artistry Award | Kira Kam | Academy of Dance Victoria |
| Encouragement Award | Milla Cayk | Expressions Ballet Academy |
Intermediate
| WINNERS | NAME | DANCE SCHOOL |
| First Place | Swiss Strickland | Expressions Ballet Academy |
| Runner-Up | Benson Flores | Victorian College of Arts Secondary School |
| Artistry Award | Alice Lutz | The Academy of Classical Ballet |
| Encouragement Award | Georgiana Ridolfi | Victorian College of Arts Secondary School |
Advanced Foundation
| WINNERS | NAME | DANCE SCHOOL |
| First Place | Aspen Edwards | Expressions Ballet Academy |
| Runner-Up | Eden-Rose Driver | Victorian College of Arts Secondary School |
| Artistry Award | Ella Eastoe | Victorian College of Arts Secondary School |
| Encouragement Award | Chatlotte Trapani | Victorian College of Arts Secondary School |
Advanced 1
| WINNERS | NAME | DANCE SCHOOL |
| First Place | Samantha McDonald | The National Theatre Ballet School |
| Runner-Up | Elodie Lamont | Pirouette Ballet School |
| Artistry Award | Lucy Gorr | The National Theatre Ballet School |
| Encouragement Award | Erin Bowers | Geelong Ballet Centre |
Advanced 2 & Solo Seal
| WINNERS | NAME | DANCE SCHOOL |
| First Place | Sharon Jiang | Victorian College of Arts Secondary School |
| Runner-Up | Darcy Donohue | Victorian College of Arts Secondary School |
| Artistry Award | Alliyah Stevenson | Independent Dance Studios |
| Encouragement Award | Zoe Moxham | Geelong Ballet Centre |
Bloch Award KGA Overall Winner
| WINNER | NAME | DANCE SCHOOL |
| First Place | Aspen Edwards | Expressions Ballet Academy |
The Australian Ballet School Scholarship
| Week of Training | NAME | DANCE SCHOOL |
| Scholarship Awarded to | Jasper Zajacek-Tieu | Victorian College of Arts Secondary School |
| Scholarship Awarded to | Swiss Strickland | Expressions Ballet Academy |
Martin Rubenstein Most Potential Award
| WINNER | NAME | DANCE SCHOOL |
| First Place | Darcy Donohue | Victorian College of Arts Secondary School |
Paul Hammond Encouragement Award
| WINNER | NAME | DANCE SCHOOL |
| First Place | Georgiana Ridolfi | Victorian College of Arts Secondary School |
With massive thanks to the National Sponsors of our Student Events Programme
