On Easter Monday, Alfie Shacklock (12 years) from The Dance Centre Peregian Springs, won the Junior Alana Haines Australasian Award in Wellington, New Zealand.
After four days of intense classical ballet competition, an international panel of judges from Australia and New Zealand judged Alfie as the best junior dancer from a field of 150 junior dancers.
Alfie’s prize includes a scholarship to the Australian Ballet School and a prize of $3000 towards further ballet training.
Alfie was one of four dancers from The Dance Centre, and hundreds of talented dancers from some of the best ballet schools in Australia and Asia, who travelled to Wellington to compete in the Alana Haines Awards for cash prizes and scholarships.
Alfie said: “I am still in shock. This will take a little while to sink in but I am very happy, very excited and so very grateful to all the amazing support I have received from my family, my teachers and my friends at The Dance Centre.
“The competition was amazing and the other dancers inspired me so much to keep working hard towards my dream of being a professional dancer.”
Dance Centre director Deborah Preece-Brocksom said: “We were completely overwhelmed by the success of our students.
“Three made it through to the quarter-finals, Milana Gould, Alfie Shacklock and Scarlett O’Rielley. Milana and Alfie won through to the semi-finals and then Alfie won the grand final.
“Just making the quarter-finals in the AHA is an enormous achievement. This is one of the top three ballet competitions in the world.
“Both Milana and Alfie have now won scholarships to the Australian Ballet School which is absolutely fantastic and a credit to all their hard work and dedication.”
To follow the progress of Alfie and all the vocational students at The Dance Centre Peregian Springs please visit Facebook, www.dancecentreperegiansprings.com or call 5442 8128.
