Olivia Parfitt, a member of the SABT Academy is the winner of the the Keith Mackintosh Scholarship Fund’s prestigious Prague Ballet Scholarship Award in the pre-professional category. She was announced as the winner on August 21st 2011 at the Artscape Opera Theatre in Cape Town. The Keith Mackintosh Scholarship Fund, established in 2005, was created with the specific intention of supporting both existing and emerging talent within the local performing arts field, particularly ballet. Principal dancer Keith Mackintosh felt that promising young artists would benefit from a scholarship, in order to contribute to the development of their chosen performing art.
Miss Parfitt was the was the youngest competitor and the only dancer to compete from Johannesburg. The judging panel included were Daria Klimentova, Principal dancer from English National Ballet. The competition consisted of a class on the Opera stage for the participants.
As the winner of one of just two scholarships, Miss Parfitt wins the opportunity to participate in the 10th Prague International Ballet Masterclass which will be held in Prague in August 2012. The intensive two- week course in classical ballet and related disciplines, is taught by a faculty of international star teachers under the direction of Daria Klimentova.
Davonne le Grange, Chane Haarhoof and Lara de Villiers appear in Angela Malan's First Rain at the annual Val Whyte Bursary Gala which was held at the Promusica Theatre on May 23rd 2009 [photo: TJ Lemon]
The SABT Academy was established in order to give promising young dancers the opportunity to supplement their training with private teachers. The SA Ballet Theatre Academy dancers work in groups in order to prepare them for the corps de ballet work which they would do should they enter professional ballet company. The dancers range from age thirteen to sixteen and take regular classes with a highly skilled pool of teachers under the directorship of Jenny Barlow. At the annual Val Whyte Bursary Gala, groups from the SA Ballet Theatre Academy perform works specifically choreographed for them by guest choreographers. SA Ballet Theatre Academy dancers are also often called on to swell the ranks of The SA Ballet Theatre’s corps de ballet during the Company’s seasons. The SA Ballet Theatre Academy aims to contribute to the development of future generations of South African Ballet Theatre dancers and the Academy management works closely with the Company management to further their mutual interests. Participation is by audition.
For more information please contact Jenny Everitt on jennye@telkomsa.net
Schedule:
|
Classes (Saturday) |
Time |
|
Finalists |
13h00 - 14h30 |
|
Group 1 |
13h00 - 14h30 |
|
Group 2 |
14h30 - 16h00 |
|
Tues |
|
|
Group 2 |
16h00 - 17h00 |
|
Group 1 |
16h00 - 17h00 |
|
Finalists |
16h00 - 17h00 |
Rehearsals taking place at moment in all class.
The following pictures were taken by TJ Lemon
