Dancers sparkle at eisteddfod

THE city’s dance community was busy last week as hundreds of performers competed in the Ballarat Dance Eisteddfod.

Two hundred and twenty young people from 20 dance schools across Ballarat and Geelong were part of the five-day, 61-section event at Founders Theatre in Federation University’s Mount Helen campus.

Sections for children under seven, to people 16 and over, included classical, demi character, separate neo classical and lyrical comps, jazz and contemporary, and for the first time, championships, duos, trios, and novice sections.

Ballarat Dance Eisteddfod committee member Sallee Caldwell said entries for the annual not-for-profit comp were up by 33 per cent on 2022.

“The level of competition was really strong,” she said. “That’s reflective of Ballarat’s strong dance community.

“Our two adjudicators made comment that the quality of competition was so high, in some cases it was difficult for them to adjudicate and choose a section winner.”

Local dance schools including the Academy of Classical Ballet and Kerry Moore School of Ballet had some high-achieving stars sparkling on stage across the week.

The Academy’s Lily Schlakht won the 14 years and over modern championship with a performance that adjudicators described as “the dance of the eisteddfod,” while Bella Ottini won the open jazz championship, and placed third in the 14 years and over modern championship.

Kerry Moore’s Leni Howlett won the 13 to 14 years classical championship, coming off the back of success in the Alana Haines Australasian Awards in New Zealand.

All championship competitors were presented with a bouquet of flowers by five-year-old dancers, donated by Stems Flower Market, and winners shared a prize pool of $5000, with support from sponsor Capezio Dancewear.

Ms Caldwell said the event was a success, however the committee has already decided to make an alteration for the next competition in 2024.

“We’re going to change the timing, as a lot of Melbourne dancers were unable to make it this year due to the eisteddfod clashing with other competitions,” she said.

“Next year, we’ll hold the eisteddfod in the second week of the mid-year school holidays, because it’s really important that we attract more people from outside of Ballarat and give local dancers the opportunity to compete against different people.”