JOKSOD Highlights Term 1 2023

Each term our beautiful teachers decide which student in each age group should be presented with this encouragement award. We are delighted to announce the following students were our Spotlight Stars for Term 1:

• Junior: Olive Mottershead
• Intermediate: Isobel Harper
• Senior: Luci Curry

All these students have demonstrated the JOKSOD qualities, showing respect to teachers and peers. They have all listened carefully and have been working so hard in classes.

We’ve seen such an improvement from all these dancers during term 1 and congratulate them for this special award.

Well done to all of you!

Congratulations to all the beautiful students that presented for the Cecchetti Ballet Australia William Carse Award back in February. The event was focused on looking for dancers who demonstrate beautiful artistry and love of dance!

A special congratulations to

• Sam McSweeney - who was awarded the overall male prize
• Macy Stalker - who was awarded an Honourable mention (runner up) in the Junior Grade 5/6 section

The wonderful Amy Harris and Jarryd Madden were the adjudicators for the day and had the difficult task of choosing one winner and three runners up in the two age sections, Junior and Senior. 

A huge well done to all students that presented for the Enrico Cecchetti Medal Award auditions, we’re so proud of you all. We were delighted that 9 dancers were selected by Justine Miles from The Australian Ballet School to go through to the finals in August;

Rose Medal: Indi Chatfield, Lulu Stackpole and Macy Stalker

Bronze Medal: Maisie O'Toole, Ava Scott, Adele Vokes

Silver Medal: Lucie Doody, Sam McSweeney

Gold Medal: Ashlea Rush

We are so thrilled for our beautiful dancers who represented JOKSOD at the Cecchetti Ballet Victoria Choreography Competition in April this year. It takes a lot of effort and dedication to create some of your own dances to perform. 

A huge congratulations to:

• Ming Fang
• Macey Andreana
• Iyla Emanuel
• Maisie O'Toole

You were all so wonderful and worked so hard to prepare for the event. We are so proud of you!

A special congratulations to Ming who won the overall aggregate for 9yrs & Under and to Macey who won the Encouragement Award and the Classical Ballet Tiara Award for 12yrs & Under.

This year our wonderful Sam ventured to New Zealand to attend the prestigious international competition, the Alana Haines Australasian Award 2023. 

Sam was chosen to dance in the quarter finals in this event that is of an extremely high standard, winners of the event go onto sometimes compete in the world renowned Prix De Lausanne. 

As a result of Sam's performance he was also spotted and awarded a full scholarship including boarding to Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet Professional Division Summer Session for 2023!

This is an incredible honour to be selected and such an amazing opportunity. Sam will learn from world class teachers in this environment which focuses on high standards of excellence and nurturing young artists.

We are all so proud of you Sam!

Every few years Cecchetti Ballet Australia organises a special event and invites dancers from all over Australia to perform a Classical solo for an esteemed adjudicator, for the Cecchetti Young Dancers Award. 

There are three age categories and the standard of attendees was extraordinarily high.

• 8 to 10 year old category - Congratulations to Ming Fang, Elise Stalker, Bailey Bobrowski and Macey Andreana who presented amongst 41 other dancers. 
• 11 to 13 year old category - Congratulations to Ava Scott, Macy Stalker, Lucie Doody and Charlotta Apps who presented amongst 52 other dancers.
  • A special congratulations to Ava Scott who was chosen to dance in the finals, 1 of 12 to be selected!
• 14 to 16 year old category - Congratulations to Ashlea Rush and Sam McSweeney who presented amongst 22 other dancers.

And a massive congratulations to Sam who was awarded WINNER of the Senior category for the Cecchetti Young Dancer Award! What an achievement!