The Adelaide Cecchetti Medal Awards

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The Adelaide stage at St Mary’s College filled with the quiet intensity that only a Cecchetti Medal day can bring, the familiar blend of nerves, discipline, and anticipation that sits at the heart of classical ballet training. Dancers arrived after months of preparation, their work distilled into a single moment on stage where years of technique, musical understanding and artistic instinct would meet under the eyes of two highly respected adjudicators, Anne Young and Bec Dundas.

The Enrico Cecchetti Medal Award has long been a significant moment in the South Australian dance calendar, a space where students demonstrate not only their technical ability but their capacity to inhabit movement with musical intelligence and stage presence. For many young dancers it represents a milestone, a moment where their training is placed under careful scrutiny and where the tradition of the Cecchetti method continues to reveal itself through the next generation.

The Junior Encouragement Award opened with young dancers stepping onto the stage with the freshness and enthusiasm that characterises the early years of ballet training. Audrey Burnett claimed the win with a performance that combined clarity and confidence, while Aria Piteo and Everly Jones were named Runner Ups and Jessica Yao and Henry Mossop received Encouragement Awards. Each dancer demonstrated the promise that comes with careful training and growing stage awareness.

The Bronze Medal Award continued the afternoon with a higher level of technical demand and greater expectations of performance maturity. Zara Piteo secured the winning position, delivering a performance that balanced strength and musical clarity. Samantha Paltridge was awarded Runner Up, while Mason Webb received an Encouragement Award, reflecting both developing artistry and a strong technical foundation.

By the time the Silver Medal Award reached the stage, the atmosphere had shifted, the dancers older, more assured, and increasingly aware of the artistic dimension of their work. Adelaide Chan emerged as the winner with a poised and assured performance, Mila Shin receiving Runner Up and Stella Karpenko awarded Encouragement. These dancers demonstrated the transition from student technique to developing artistic identity, where movement begins to communicate something beyond steps and combinations.

The Gold Medal Award brought the day to its most advanced level of performance. Lillian Carter secured the Gold Medal win with a performance of sophistication and control, while Mia Chen was named Runner Up. At this level the dancers were not only presenting technique but a refined sense of interpretation, musical sensitivity and stage command.

The final presentation of the Dorothy Noye Memorial Award honoured Lillian Carter, recognising a dancer whose performance reflected both the discipline and expressive capacity that the Cecchetti tradition seeks to cultivate. The award carries particular significance in South Australia, named after the influential teacher who helped shape generations of dancers through the Cecchetti method.

Central to the day were the insights and perspectives of the two adjudicators whose careers represent distinct yet complementary voices within Australian dance.

Anne Young brings more than five decades of experience in dance education to the adjudication panel. A student of Wynn Lee and Dorothy Noye, she completed her final Cecchetti Fellowship examination at the age of twenty six and has since dedicated her career to teaching and nurturing dancers across South Australia. Her work has spanned both the private studio sector and public education, where she served as a dance educator and contributed to the broader development of dance education within the school system. Her long association with the South Australian Children’s Ballet Company continues to connect her to the evolving landscape of youth dance training.

Speaking during the event, Young reflected on the technical foundations she looks for across the various age levels, emphasising the importance of continuity in the Cecchetti method.

“We have a foundation of particular technique that we’re looking at, and you see how that develops across the different years,” she explained. “At the junior level there is a basic foundation of technique. Port de bras for Cecchetti students is very important and we look for that consistently across all levels. There needs to be a shape and an ease and a connection to the music through the arms.”

Young noted that the structure of the medal examination itself helps dancers gradually settle into the stage environment.

“One of the good things about our medal test is that the dancers first come on stage and perform a port de bras, sometimes an adage and an allegro. That begins to settle the nerves and allows them to feel the stage. By the time they present their solo we can see not only their placement and use of demi plié and allegro, but also their musicality and their connection to the audience.”

Preparation, she emphasised, is never something that happens quickly.

“These are things the dancers have learned over months of preparation. When my students prepared for medal tests we would often work for four or five months in advance. It is not something they learn yesterday and perform today.”

For Young, the enduring joy of adjudicating lies in witnessing the ongoing relevance of the Cecchetti tradition.

“I have taught dance in South Australia for over fifty years. I have put students into the medal test over the years and had winners, and it is wonderful to come back and see the next generation of dancers. It shows that Cecchetti is still viable and still relevant. What I love most is seeing children enjoying their dancing, looking graceful and happy. That joy in movement and elegance is something very special.”

Alongside Young on the adjudication panel was Bec Dundas, whose career reflects a broader contemporary perspective within Australian dance. A graduate of a Bachelor of Dance Performance in 2009, Dundas has worked as a performer, creative producer, artistic director and educator, touring internationally with Leigh Warren and Dancers and later holding significant roles with Tasdance. Her experience spans major productions with Opera Australia and The Michael Cassel Group, as well as choreographic work and leadership positions including Acting Artistic Director of Stompin Youth Dance and Artistic Director of DRILL Performance.

Dundas brings a contemporary lens to the adjudication process, balancing her Cecchetti training with a broader view of dance performance.

“Because I come to the judging panel with a contemporary perspective, I tend to look at the work slightly laterally,” she said. “My origins are in Cecchetti ballet, so I understand the importance of those foundations, but I’m also looking at quality of movement and how dancers present themselves artistically at each age level.”

For younger dancers she looks for something beyond pure technical execution.

“At the lower levels I look for energy and initiative, dancers who approach their technique with spirit and passion. At that stage there is still a lot of technical development ahead, so you’re also looking for personality and stage presence. Younger dancers still have a sense of imagination and wonder, and it’s lovely to see that come through.”

At the higher levels she observes a noticeable shift.

“Once dancers reach silver and gold levels they are far more invested in their training. Their solos become more sophisticated and structured, and you begin to see how they are developing their artistic voice.”

Dundas also spoke about the importance of contemporary movement training alongside classical work.

“It’s exciting to see contemporary being introduced into the Cecchetti framework. Some dancers only discover their love of contemporary quite late, so creating space for that exploration is important.”

She emphasised the physical awareness required to support this broader movement language.

“I think breath work and release work from a young age is really valuable. Learning how to drop into the pelvis and work with the breath allows dancers to move with greater freedom and safety. Contemporary dance often requires dancers to work closer to the floor and to absorb impact through the body, so understanding how to use the joints and the body’s levers safely is essential.”

As the final awards were presented and the theatre gradually emptied, the significance of the day extended beyond medals and placements. What remained was the continuation of a tradition, teachers guiding students through the rigorous and refined language of Cecchetti ballet, adjudicators offering perspective shaped by decades of experience, and young dancers stepping forward into the evolving landscape of Australian dance.

In Adelaide, the legacy of Cecchetti continues to unfold not simply through technique but through artistry, musicality and the quiet dedication of a community committed to nurturing the next generation of dancers.

click here to view images captured on the day