Student Achievement

Recent Success

Bella Swietlicka has just won first prize for the RAD Senior Awards, Génee Challenge. The RAD Senior Awards took place in Glasgow on Sunday 19th of September 2010.

Photo right - Ballet West Vice-principal Jonathan Barton with winners of the RAD senior awards. Right - Isabella Swietlicki (Ballet West), centre - Lauren Rennie (Dansarena), Left - Alistair Beattie (Dance School of Scotland)

Ballet West Aspiring Professional, Natasha Watson won the level 2, Genée Dance Challenge, organised by the Royal Academy of Dance, at the end of July 2010. The competition saw talented young dancers perform at the home of Birmingham Royal Ballet in a multi-level national competition. Entry was open to RAD students aged 15 years and under currently studying with an RAD Registered Teacher, from across the UK and Republic of Ireland. Candidates were grouped into three different levels depending on age and stage of training and they participated in classes and rehearsals over the course of two days. The students were judged on a solo which had been choreographed by their teacher and they performed in front of an audience with two winners per level announced.

Natasha, 14 from Falkirk, is a student at the Central Scotland Ballet School and has attended the Ballet West Aspiring Professionals Programme in Glasgow for the past three years. Her solo "River Flows in You" by Yiruma was choreographed by Ballet West principal dancer Sara-Maria Smith, herself a medallist in the Genée International Ballet Competition.

The winners of the Genée Dance Challenge will perform their solos at Supper with the Stars, an exclusive fundraising dinner and curtain-raiser for the Genée International Ballet Competition, taking place in November.

Victoria Gunning, Lisa Bysheim, Duncan Saul and Sarah Mortimer achieved distinction in their RAD Advanced 2 exams and will compete in the 2010 Genee International Ballet Competition in London.

Sarah Mortimer
Winner of the 2009 Adeline Calder Scholarship.

Philippa Marsh & Jenny Morrison both attained Distinction in their RAD Advanced 2. They were eligible to compete in the Genée International Ballet Competition in Singapore in the summer of 2009.

Michaela Poulton - Genée International Ballet Competition 2008

Michaela is originally from Devon and during her early training she was the South West Ballet Champion for 4 years. While attending Ballet West, she was a competitor in the RAD Phyllis Bedell's Bursary 2007 and won the 2008 Adeline Calder Scholarship. She was recently awarded Distinction in the RAD Advanced 2 examination, which entitled her to compete in the Genée International Ballet Competition in Toronto in August 2008. She was the only UK student eligible to attend this highly prestigious competition, which attracts participants from all over the world.

Previous Ballet West Genée success

• Sara-Maria Smith - Medal Winner
• Jonathan Barton - Medal Winner
• Kelly McCole
• Carol Summers
• Vicky Horn
• David Horn
• Rebecca Giboin
• Kimberly White
• Jenny Barden

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Photographs of Students are Copyright © Lesley and Harvey Wolfinger