Pittwater Life June 2017 Issue

News
Newport dance
school on point
Of the thousands of youngsters
who skip off to ballet
lessons every day only a handful
are identified as having that
“something special” to help
propel them to great heights.
So when a little ballet school
on the northern beaches can
boast five students in the coveted
Australian Ballet School’s
training program, a swag of
impressive national awards
and scholarships for prestigious
international dance
companies, it must be doing
something right.
This year alone, three students
at Dynamite Premiere
Academy in Newport have
been awarded scholarships
to attend The Joffrey Ballet
School Summer Intensive in
New York City; two students
have been offered full-time
training positions with American
dance companies and an
11-year-old student performed
at the Sydney Opera House
with The Australian Ballet for
a season of The Nutcracker.
Pictured are two of the
talented team – sisters Emily
(right) and Charlotte Enright.
Not only have Emily, 13, and
Charlotte, 11, landed spots in
the Australian Ballet School’s
Interstate Training Program,
both recently walked away
with opportunities to extend
their skills at other respected
dance companies.
After competing in the Alana
Haines Australasian Awards
in New Zealand in April, Emily
was offered a traineeship in
the full-time ballet program
at the Joffrey Ballet and also a
place in their summer school
and Charlotte was awarded a
scholarship to the Brisbane
City Youth Ballet holiday
school.
The sister’s principal teacher
Melissa Mitchell at Dynamite
Premiere Academy couldn’t be
prouder of the girls who have
been under her wing for more
than half of their lives.
“The girls are not only talented
but devoted to ballet…
they are a pleasure to teach,”
Melissa said.
Not surprisingly both aspire
to become professional ballet
dancers.
Emily, a Year 8 student at
Brigidine College, St Ives, currently
dedicates 21 hours a
week to dance.
“I love dance, it makes me
feel happy and performing
makes me feel like I can share
something with the audience.”
Charlotte, who is in Year 6
at Mona Vale Public School,
started lessons because “I
wanted to be like my sister”.
She dances 16 hours a week
and said she loved “working
hard”.
“When I dance I feel happy
and free,” she said. – LO
22 JUNE 2017
Celebrating 25 Years