A Mount Gambier ballerina has danced her way into a prestigious performance – beating out 150 other auditioners.

Holly Allison, 12 (pictured), was selected to dance in the Victorian State Youth Ballet Company’s production of Sleeping Beauty, staged recently at Melbourne’s Karralyka Theatre.

Mount Gambier ballerina Holly Allison, 12, has danced her way into a prestigious performance by beating out 150 other auditioners to Victorian State Youth Ballet Company’s production of Sleeping Beauty, staged recently at Melbourne’s Karralyka Theatre. A member of the Australian Ballet School’s interstate training program, the young dancer was thrilled to win the part.

Holly auditioned for the production in February, but COVID restrictions meant both her audition and much of her rehearsals were conducted via Zoom due to border restrictions. She did manage to travel to Melbourne each Sunday from mid-April for rehearsals before lockdowns again kicked in. While the Victorian dancers were able to rehearse together, Holly joined in via video link.

Holly was cast as a carabosse attendant and a garland dancer in the production. “Both of the roles were very different roles to perform which was exciting,” she said. “The carabosse attendant part comes out with the carabosse and terrorises the fairies and everyone who is at the castle. “I was also there when the carabosse puts the spell on Sleeping Beauty. “In the carabosse attendant role I had to be evil.

I was also a garland dancer that is a Sleeping Beauty’s 16th birthday party. “In this dance I got to do a really pretty dance with flower garlands which was a totally different role for me to play from the carabosse.”

Holly has been dancing for 10 years at Maryke Dance Academy and trains under Maxine Lockwood. She takes classes at Maryke in classical ballet, tap and jazz and also does calisthenics at Tonique Studio where she is coached by Monique Gentile and Tonya Allison.