Dancer awarded dual scholarships

A RISING young ballet performer is showing no signs of slowing down after receiving scholarship offers at prestigious schools in Australia and overseas.

Kerry Moore School of Ballet student Leni Howlett has been given the chance to study her creative practice at both the Australian Ballet School in Melbourne and Texas’ Houston Ballet.

She said she’s ecstatic to be awarded both opportunities.

“It’s pretty amazing,” she said. “It would be a really great opportunity to attend these places and these scholarships.

“I’m really grateful to have received them.”

Howlett was offered the scholarships as a result of her competing in the Sydney Eisteddfod’s Robert and Elizabeth Albert Junior Ballet Scholarship in July.

She was previously offered the same two-week Australian Ballet School scholarship after taking the junior award in the Alana Haines Australasian Awards in New Zealand last year.

She’s since been offered to attend the institution full-time from next year at level four.

Houston Ballet’s Stanton Welch offered Howlett the options between a five-week summer school as well as a short-term stint in the year-round professional program.

“She’s been offered those out of her Sydney performance,” Howlett’s mother Jacqui said.

“But now she’s been offered the Australian Ballet School full time she’ll need to consider that.

“I think she was among 66 other dancers performing a classical solo. After that she was one of 29 selected to do a contrast solo, then one of 18 to do a masterclass. She was then one of eight finalists.”

At 14 years old, Leni has been performing ballet for nearly 10 years and was inspired to take up the practice after watching her sister dance.

Throughout that time, Leni has been a student of a very proud Kerry Moore.

“The opportunity for Leni to study under the guidance of any of these companies is incredible,” Ms Moore said.

“To be acknowledged and for them to watch and consider her is an amazing honour.”