Northern England, Northern Ireland & Scotland
The Heat Rises in Manchester
Two male and five female young dancers secured their places among contestants for the “Young Dancer 2008” title, after the second of four regional heats of the Fonteyn Nureyev Young Dancers Competition took place at the Dancehouse, Manchester, on Saturday 26 & Sunday 27 January.
The seven finalists will now go on to compete in the Final, to be held in London on April 13 at the Bloomsbury Theatre. Level 2 finalist Matthew Koon, said of his love of ballet,
“Ballet gives me the freedom to express my emotions with my body. When I dance my heart is full and I am released from my inhibitions”.
Held biennially, the Fonteyn Nureyev Young Dancers Competition is the Royal Academy of Dance flagship national event, presented in association with the Rudolf Nureyev Foundation, the Rudolf Nureyev Dance Foundation, the Music, Ballet and Opera Trust and with the generous support of International Dance Supplies. Hundreds of young dancers have entered the competition and 101 competed in Manchester for only seven places in the Final at each Level.
The aspiring young dancers performed in front of an audience of family, friends, dance professionals and dance enthusiasts. At both levels, (Level 1: 10-11 yrs, Level 2: 12-13 yrs) they competed in a classical class, lead by RAD Registered Teacher Jill Firth. Each candidate then performed variations choreographed exclusively for the competition by renowned choreographer Gillian Lynne CBE (Cats, Chitty Chitty, Bang Bang).
Congratulating all the participants, David Nixon urged them to learn from the dancers after which the competition is named,
"This competition is inspired by the memory of two of the most magical dancers, Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev, they inhabited the steps and when they danced each performance was like their first and only performance"
On the overall Competition, he also added,
"I am delighted to be supporting the RAD and in particular this competition, as this is where it all starts with these young dancers. It is great to see that the number of entries was up this year particularly with the young men. Both Pippa and I were impressed by the standard of the Finalists here."
Finalists Level 1
Candidate No. 1: Natasha Agarwal, age 11, St. Helens – taught by Elizabeth Hill
Candidate No. 6: Melissa Braithwaite, age 10, Dronfield – taught by Caroline Wright
Candidate No. 40: Alex Pearson, age 12, Oldham – taught by Caroline Wright
Candidate No. 51: Emma Tomson, age 11, Sale – taught by Lynda Cardwell
Finalists Level 2
Candidate No. 18: Dominique Halsall, age 13, St. Helens – taught by Elizabeth Hill
Candidate No. 22: Matthew Koon, age 14 (13 at the time of application), Salford – taught by Caroline Wright
Candidate No. 44: Ross McCaw, age 12, Chester – taught by Lynne Greatorex-Cooke
All photos: Brian Slater
Read other Fonteyn Nureyev Young Dancers Competition News