Returning to Gungahlin College Theatre for its third Canberra event, the Australian Classical Challenge brought together an impressive field of young dancers from across Australia for a weekend that asked far more of them than simply stepping onto the stage and performing.
Across Ballet and Contemporary, dancers moved between masterclasses, new challenges and competition performances, working closely with leading industry professionals before being asked to put what they had learned into practice. Substantial cash prizes recognised achievement, but throughout the weekend there was an equally strong emphasis on development: how dancers responded to feedback, adapted to unfamiliar material and found the confidence to bring something of themselves to their performance.
In the Ballet divisions, adjudicators Adrian Ricks, Danielle Kyneur and Sian Stokes saw an exceptionally high technical standard across Junior, Pre-Intermediate, Intermediate and Senior competitors. Yet again and again, their comments returned to what exists beyond technique.
For Junior adjudicator Adrian Ricks, having the opportunity to work with the dancers before judging them created a very different relationship with the finalists.
“I feel like I actually teach you now,” he told them. “You’ve all done so well. Congratulations for being selected for the semis and then the finals. It really can go any way. It’s always just in the moment on the day.”
The Junior Ballet Encouragement Award was presented to Ivy Hall, with Eliza Goodwin receiving Runner-up and the $300 prize. Ricks described her performance as “really solid and beautiful work”. Olivia Kim claimed the Junior Ballet title and $500 first prize after a consistent performance across the competition.
The maturity of the younger dancers was also evident in the Pre-Intermediate Ballet division. Adjudicator Danielle Kyneur described the dancers’ maturity and strength at such a young age as “extraordinary”, before acknowledging that selecting the recipients had been a particularly difficult decision.
Bronte Church received the Encouragement Award, Isabelle La was named Runner-up with a $500 prize, and Lauren Li took first place and $700.
By the Intermediate division, the margins were becoming even narrower. “You’re all stunning,” Ricks told the finalists. “Keep working hard and listening to your teachers because it’s doing you good so far.”
Rose MacRae received the Encouragement Award and Audrey Heading was awarded Runner-up and $1,000. Ava Meng claimed the Intermediate Ballet title and $1,500, with Ricks praising the “really solid and beautiful poise” she maintained from start to finish.
The Senior Ballet division brought the classical competition to its highest level, with adjudicator Sian Stokes describing the standard as incredible and the final decision extremely difficult. But her message to these dancers, many approaching the transition into professional careers, reached beyond competition results.
“Never forget that ballet is an art form. Technique gives you the vocabulary, but artistry is what tells the story. Don’t be afraid to let your personality, your musicality and your heart shine through. As a judge, yes, you look at technique, but more than anything, I want to be moved.”
Annabelle Howison received the Encouragement Award, with Stokes particularly impressed by how successfully she had applied feedback from the masterclasses to her final performance. Brent Helm received Runner-up and $1,500, while Charlotte Seymour claimed the Senior Ballet title and $3,000 first prize.
That relationship between learning and performing continued into Contemporary, but here the challenge shifted. Rather than presenting only prepared repertoire, dancers were required to absorb original choreography and new movement material in a matter of hours, interpret it and ultimately make it their own.
Working with choreographers Paul Malek and Davide Di Giovanni, competitors were encouraged to take risks, trust their instincts and discover how much individuality they could bring to someone else’s choreography.
For the Junior Contemporary finalists, Malek deliberately created space for experimentation.
“I really wanted to push them out of their comfort zone,” he explained. “I wanted to give them something that had a lot of uniqueness and something where they were allowed to choose their own adventure along the way.”
Describing the fifteen finalists as “unique young artists” and “emerging storytellers”, Malek encouraged them to continue making their own stories and dances and to recognise the power of their creativity.
Arthur McHutchison received the Encouragement Award, with Malek praising his unique choices. Callie Young received Runner-up and $300, while Maisie Skye claimed the Junior Contemporary title and $500. Malek was struck not only by Maisie’s maturity on stage, but by her desire to learn, recalling that she had sought him out after class to clarify his feedback. “That’s someone who really wants to improve.”
For Pre-Intermediate Contemporary adjudicator Davide Di Giovanni, the ability to communicate genuine emotion was just as important as executing the movement.
“A great dancer is someone that can show emotion on stage and really take the audience on that journey,” he said, while also commending the dancers for their openness to an unfamiliar movement language.
Tiffany Ma received the Encouragement Award, Scarlett Tai was Runner-up with $500, and Charlotte Whittaker received the $700 first prize, with Di Giovanni praising the connection she established with the choreography.
The Intermediate Contemporary division proved exceptionally close. Malek described the standard as so high that he wished there had been more than three prizes, but what particularly impressed him was the dancers’ ability to tackle physically demanding choreography without losing their individuality.
Piper Vimpani received the Encouragement Award, while Ava Meng, already the winner of Intermediate Ballet, demonstrated her versatility by taking Runner-up and the $1,000 prize. Malek told her, “I think the choreography was yours this weekend.”
Jonah Aiello claimed the Intermediate Contemporary title and $1,500 after repeatedly surprising Malek with his interpretation. “You made it your own,” he said. “It was really memorable. You gave choices and surprised me with my own choreography.”
The Senior Contemporary division offered one final test of adaptability as dancers worked intensively with Di Giovanni’s distinctive movement language. For him, the reward was not simply seeing who performed it best, but witnessing how much could change in a very short period.
“When I see progress in such a short amount of time, that’s the most beautiful thing I can get as a teacher and choreographer.”
He also encouraged dancers not to interpret uncertainty as failure. “I could see you dealing with a lot of new information. I actually enjoy that because it means you’re thinking, you’re connecting and you’re growing.”
Brent Helm received the Encouragement Award, adding to his Senior Ballet Runner-up result. Zahra Zulkapli received Contemporary Runner-up and $1,500, while Emily McCoy claimed the Senior Contemporary title and $3,000 first prize.
“You connected so well with the choreography,” Di Giovanni told Emily. “What you brought today on stage was wonderful, and I would love to see you growing even more because that’s just the beginning for you.”
Across both Ballet and Contemporary, the results recognised exceptional performances, but the structure of the Australian Classical Challenge allowed something else to become visible. Dancers were not only showing what they had arrived knowing. They were being given new information, asked to respond to it and then placed in the pressure of performance, where their choices became their own.
Technique mattered. So did musicality, creativity and performance. But perhaps most revealing was the ability to listen, adapt and grow.
For young dancers still discovering the artists they may become, that opportunity can be every bit as valuable as the result.
RESULTS
Junior Ballet
Winner ($500): Olivia Kim, The McDonald College
Runner-up ($300): Eliza Goodwin, Claudia Dean Academy
Encouragement Award: Ivy Hall, Dance North Academy
Junior Contemporary
Winner ($500): Maisie Skye, Dance Conservatory Australia
Runner-up ($300): Callie Young, The Academy
Encouragement Award: Arthur McHutchison, Kim Harvey School of Dance
Pre-Intermediate Ballet
Winner ($700): Lauren Li, Dance North Academy
Runner-up ($500): Isabelle La, Raising The Barre Academy
Encouragement Award: Bronte Church, Dance North Academy
Pre-Intermediate Contemporary
Winner ($700): Charlotte Whittaker, Dance North Academy
Runner-up ($500): Scarlett Tai, North Shore Dance Academy
Encouragement Award: Tiffany Ma, North Shore Dance Academy
Intermediate Ballet
Winner ($1,500): Ava Meng, Raising the Barre Academy
Runner-up ($1,000): Audrey Heading, The Studio International
Encouragement Award: Rose MacRae, TJS Dance Academy and Raising The Barre
Intermediate Contemporary
Winner ($1,500): Jonah Aiello, TJS Dance Academy
Runner-up ($1,000): Ava Meng, Raising the Barre Academy
Encouragement Award: Piper Vimpani, Lake Macquarie Dance Academy
Senior Ballet
Winner ($3,000): Charlotte Seymour, Alberta Ballet School, Canada, formerly Kim Harvey School of Dance
Runner-up ($1,500): Brent Helm, TJS Dance Academy
Encouragement Award: Annabelle Howison, Rogerson College of Classical & Contemporary Dance
Senior Contemporary
Winner ($3,000): Emily McCoy, The Training Ground
Runner-up ($1,500): Zahra Zulkapli, Kim Harvey School of Dance
Encouragement Award: Brent Helm, TJS Dance Academy