AICD Celebrates 33 Years with 2025 Senior Classical Awards in Victoria

Published in Print September 2025 order now!
view 13-14 Years Photos
view 15-18 Years Photos

By Danielle Brown

2025 marks the thirty-third anniversary of the Australian Institute of Classical Dance (AICD), an organisation that has long stood at the heart of classical ballet in Australia. Founded in 1991 by Marilyn Jones OBE after she was awarded a Creative Arts Fellowship by the Australian Government, the AICD quickly became a central force for dance education and advocacy. A distinguished steering committee was formed to help shape its vision and direction. This foundational group included Marilyn Jones OBE, Laurel Martyn OBE, Garth Welch AM, Dame Margaret Scott AC DBE, Valerie Tweedy, Gay Wightman, Penelope Lancaster, Lynn Haseldine, Margaret Markham, Dally Messenger, Vicki Fairfax, Kathryn Lowe, and Patricia Laughlin. A year later, in 1992, the AICD was formally incorporated as a not-for-profit organisation run by a board comprised of eminent members of the dance profession.

Today, the AICD has active branches in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania. The organisation provides an array of opportunities for classical ballet students, including workshops, seminars, scholarships, and performance initiatives. Its notable offerings include the Houston Ballet Academy scholarship, the International Ballet Awards, the New Zealand School of Dance scholarship, and the choreography platform Dance Creation.

One of the highlights on the annual AICD calendar is the Senior Classical Ballet Awards in Victoria, held this year on 15 June 2025 at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School (VCASS). Sponsored proudly by Bloch and Dancetrain magazine, the event brought together some of the state’s most promising young dancers across two divisions: 13–14 Years and 15–18 Years.

The morning commenced with classical classwork under the instruction of Mary Renouf, a former Australian Ballet dancer and one of the country’s most respected ballet educators. Renouf led the class with clarity, grace, and contagious enthusiasm. Her use of épaulement and port de bras was superb.

She didn’t overcomplicate the steps. These dancers are nervous—they’re performing class on stage, in front of their teachers, parents and the adjudicator. Mary gave them a structured class that still challenged them, but engaged them fully. Her communication was precise, animated, and encouraging.

Renouf was assisted on the day by her husband, Adrian Fryer, with whom she co-founded Melbourne’s City Dance Centre in 1997. Together, the pair have been pivotal in shaping Australia’s adult ballet scene and remain active mentors through initiatives such as the International Ballet Workshops.

The day’s adjudicator, Lynette Mann, brought a wealth of experience to the role. A former Australian Ballet Principal, Mann was celebrated for her lyrical performances in works such as La Fille mal gardée and Pineapple Poll, and is known for her passionate advocacy for dancers’ rights.

When asked what she was looking for in this year’s competitors, Mann noted that while technique was essential across both divisions, she adjusted her expectations based on age and experience.

“I’d say with the older age group, you probably look more at the technique,” she said. “With the younger age group, you still look at technique, but you know they’re not going to have it to the same level. In general, it’s pretty similar though.”

For Mann, what stood out most in the senior division were dancers who combined technique with expressive performance.

“I like to see a complete performance,” she explained. “Some people are beautiful in class but don’t bring it to the stage. So when someone does both—that’s what attracts me. Straight away.”

Mann was particularly reflective when asked why certain dancers unexpectedly shine under pressure:

“I used to wonder about that, and I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s an inbuilt thing in dancers—they just want to perform that much that they come out and do it.”

Her feedback to the younger dancers was equally detailed:

“A lot of the younger dancers throw their shoulders back and arch their backs—particularly when jumping forward. They need to keep the torso flat and arms to the front during turns. Otherwise, they walk. A little more focus on that would be great.”

Despite the challenges, Mann’s love for watching young artists grow remained unwavering:

“I just get joy seeing people dancing—and the young people—and I hope they all go on to have a career in ballet, because it’s just… it’s wonderful if you can make it work for you.”

Competition Results
13–14 Years Division
1st Place: Ella Chen (Russian Choreographic Academy) — $350 cash prize, certificate, medal, and $300 Bloch gift card
2nd Place: Beatrice Hanadi (The National Ballet School) — $250 cash prize, certificate, medal, and $200 Bloch gift card
3rd Place: Alice Lutz (The Academy of Classical Ballet) — $150 cash prize, certificate, medal, and $100 Bloch gift card
Highly Commended: Zoe Wijemanne (Classical Coaching with Claire Campbell-Mahon)
Encouragement Awards: Sylvia Li (Glen Iris School of Dance), Anna Zhang (En Pointe School of Ballet)

Ella Chen Takes Top Honours in Junior Division Ella Chen of Russian Choreographic Academy was awarded first place in the 13–14 Years Division. “It means a lot,” she said. “I definitely worked really hard to achieve this, and I’m just really grateful for the opportunity today.”

Quietly composed yet deeply expressive, Ella’s performance stood out for its maturity and precision, earning her top honours in one of the event’s most competitive categories.

15–18 Years Division
1st Place: Emmalea Cass (En Pointe School of Ballet) — $500 cash prize, certificate, medal, and $400 Bloch gift card
2nd Place: Erin Bowers (Geelong Ballet Centre) — $350 cash prize, certificate, medal, and $250 Bloch gift card
3rd Place: Scarlett Graham (En Pointe School of Dance) — $200 cash prize, certificate, medal, and $150 Bloch gift card
Encouragement Awards: Fletcher Thomas (The National Ballet School), Yulia Nagashima (En Pointe School of Ballet)

All top awardees also received a 12-month subscription to Dancetrain magazine.

Emmalea Cass Wins Senior Division at AICD (pictured at top of page)

Awards Emmalea Cass of En Pointe School of Ballet was named the winner of the 15–18 Years Division. “I’m beyond grateful. I can’t believe it,” she said. “It’s amazing.”

Having worked on her solo since the start of the year, Emmalea noted the joy in bringing the story to life: “I think my favourite part is the artistry—being able to bring the character to life is such a powerful thing.”

When asked what she continues to work on in class, she smiled: “I mean, there’s always everything to work on.”

Her mature presence, musicality, and expressiveness made Emmalea a standout in the senior division, and her performance was a fitting conclusion to a day celebrating talent, training, and the future of classical ballet in Australia.

For more, visit ballet.org.au.