Limestone Coast ballerina Aaliyah Priddle recently danced at The Australian Ballet Scholarship Awards in Melbourne.
Priddle, 12, took part in workshop classes over two days with around 60 other dancers in the 12-13 age group before performing her solo at the Melbourne State Theatre in front of members of the prestigious Australian Ballet.
“I performed a variation to Raymonda, a variation of the ballet is choreographed by someone else that you kind of make your own,” she said.
“It was really good and there were a few people from all different parts of the world. I met some people from New Zealand and there was even one girl that came from Thailand just to be there.
“I felt like my solo was pretty good and it was an amazing experience to dance on stage at the State Theatre in Melbourne as it’s one of the biggest stages in the world.
“A lot of the teachers were really good and they taught us a range of different genres we do not usually do.
“I also tried a new style which was character that I had never done before, and it was interesting to learn more about.
“I think it would be a great opportunity to dance with The Australian Ballet and be in some of their productions, it’s my dream to do this one day.”
Two weeks after The Australian Ballet Scholarship Awards Priddle returned to Melbourne to participate in The Australian Ballet Winter School where she attended three full days of classes.
Earlier this year she performed solos in Eisteddfods at Hamilton, Mount Gambier, Millicent and Murray Bridge.
At the Millicent Eisteddfod Priddle was runner up in the 12 Years and Under Classical Ballet and went on to win the section at Murray Bridge.
“It feels like I definitely improved and I feel like I went better at Murray Bridge than I did at Millicent and I was just a lot stronger,” she said.
“I had my solo class in between the two and we worked on strengthening my pointe work and the artistry of the dance.”
Priddle said a highlight of her dancing was when she won the Zelda Parker Scholarship at the Mount Gambier Eisteddfod last year.
The young performer has been dancing since she was five years old, first starting out with callisthenics at the Mount Gambier Callisthenics College.
She then moved to Envy Dance Studio at six years old where she has been ever since.
“My first class that I started was ballet and I also did jazz,” Priddle said.
“I do jazz and contemporary and all different styles of dance now.
“I like all of them, but ballet is probably my favourite.”
Priddle said she would like to thank Envy Dance Studio principal Tamara Kilsby and her friends at the studio.
