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Theatre Bursary Awards and Examiner Reception Our annual Theatre Bursary Awards celebrates exceptional talent and potential amongst young ISTD-trained dancers. The Theatre Bursary Awards and theatre examiners’ reception took place in February at the Kenneth More Theatre, Ilford. Each performer present on the day was nominated to represent a faculty because of winning recent ISTD faculty events. The main performances on the day were adjudicated by respected leaders of the dance industry including Elly Brand, Dollie Henry MBE and Dincer Solomon. The day comprised of a theatre examiners’ reception where the latest guidelines, policies and updates were discussed, followed by a wonderful afternoon tea and a great opportunity to catch up between fellow examiners. The afternoon was topped off with solo performances from all nominees, with special guests performances from ISTD schools, Dupont Dance Stage School and Mayhew School of Dance as well as Redbridge
I feel a great sense of achievement and I’m so thankful to the ISTD, the judges and also to my teachers who have helped get me here. Kristen-Leigh Petit
Dance and Drama Centre, who are closely linked to the Theatre. The afternoon concluded with an awards ceremony for the winners and commendations– awarded by the adjudicators. As part of the ISTD’s charitable status, the winning dancers will receive financial bursaries to support their future training, and teachers of nominated students will receive a bursary to fund development opportunities and community activity. Kristen-Leigh Petit, Junior Commendation for Modern Theatre reflected on her win, “I feel a great sense of achievement and I’m so thankful to the ISTD, the judges and also to my teachers who have helped get me here. The money will help with my continued training, to be able to enter intensives and events, which I may not have been able to enter before, and to assist me with things that sometimes are not attainable, which will help me pursue my dream and career in dance.” Winners from the day’s celebrations Senior Winner: Cameron Jones (Nazene Langfield, Nazene Danielle’s Dance Dynamix), Modern Theatre Junior Winner: Relinda Kozol (Astrid Sherman, Poirier Productions), Imperial Classical Ballet Senior Commendation: Gabriel Pimparel (Teresa Vieira, Centro de Dança do Porto), Imperial Classical Ballet Junior Commendation: Kristen-Leigh Petit (Jody Eccles Squirrell and Louise Harrison, Ignite Dance Company), Modern Theatre
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