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Mabel
Ryan and Barbara Geoghegan Awards
The Mabel Ryan and Barbara Geoghegan Awards took place on 24th February
at the Commonwealth Institute. This is the second year they have been
held at this venue and it is proving to be an excellent setting for
these prestigious annual awards.
The
day began quietly with the Junior Award and progressed through
the Middle and Senior Awards with competitors arriving and
the audience steadily increasing. The Barbara Geoghegan Award
at the end of the afternoon was a fitting and exciting climax
to a very full day, and one which the younger competitors
were able to enjoy to the full before their own adjudication.
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Junior
Award. Joint winners:
Sarah Blake (standing) &
Stephanie Case (kneeling) |
The
Junior and Senior Awards were adjudicated by June Rycroft
and Richard Slaughter and the Middle Award by Tracy Brown
and Graham Fletcher. In each of these Awards the adjudicators
were full of praise for the overall standard of work shown
and in particular the port de bras. The Juniors were congratulated
on the way in which they had coped with some very tricky enchaînements.
All those taking part were encouraged to concentrate on improving
their footwork and use of the demi-plié, and the Seniors
to remember to use their beautiful port de bras in allegro.
The classwork on stage throughout these Awards was calmly
directed by Linda Young accompanied by the unflappable Liz
Hewson at the piano. The Vacani Award for Joy of dance in
the Junior Section was adjudicated by Mary Stassinopoulos
who stressed the importance of showing enjoyment in performance.
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| Middle
Award. Winner: Ruth Brill, Runners up: Shardae-Rose Angel
& Charlotte Craven with Tracy Brown & Graham Fletcher |
The
Barbara Geoghegan Award drew entries from Central School of
Ballet, Kate Simmons, The Royal Ballet School and the Vacani
School. The competitors rose to the occasion and were obviously
stimulated by the excellent class given by Katia Zvelebilova
and by the musical support at the piano by the ebullient Guy
Attew, who also played with great sensitivity for the various
classical variations. The adjudicators, Tracy Brown and Graham
Fletcher spoke of their enjoyment of the Award and praised
the technique of the competitors, only suggesting that the
dancers should not be afraid to relax and allow the body to
bend a little more. It was good to see two ex Cecchetti Scholars
dancing in this Award, one of whom won and the other was a
runner up.
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| Senior
Award. Winners: Rebecca Cook & Sarah Du-Feu, Runners up:
Lucy Durno & Belinda Oddy with June Rycroft & Richard
Slaughter |
The
organisation necessary to run such a long day was tremendous
and great credit is due to Susan Handy and her team of willing
helpers back stage and front of house drawn from the Cecchetti
Group and the CTA. Without them it would not have been possible.
The Cecchetti Society is also most grateful to Dance Expression
and Dans-ez for their very generous support and sponsorship
of the event in offering subscriptions and vouchers. Daphne
Cooper
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| Barbara
Geoghegan Award. Winner: Sarah Wilkinson, Runners up:
Amy Thake & Emily Dowse with Tracy Brown, Graham Fletcher
& Katia Zvelebilova. All photographs: Geoff Wheatley |
RESULTS
Junior Award
Joint winners:
Stephanie Case (Susan Handy) &
Sarah Blake (Kate Simmons/Tracey Moss)
Runners
up:
Alistair Milne (Kate Simmons/Tracey Moss) &
Michelle Newton (Sarah Wells)
Special
Mentions:
Marissa Fuller (Anthea Barnes), Natalie Cox (Kate Simmons/Tracey Moss),
Gabriella Grant (Juliet Locks/Lucy Pohl), Abigail Robinson (Susan Handy)
Vacani
Award:
Marissa Fuller
Middle
Award
Winner:
Ruth Brill (Judith Wilson)
Runners
up:
Charlotte Craven (Judith Wilson) &
Shardae-Rose Angel (Juliet Locks/Lucy Pohl)
Commended:
Charlotte Baldwin (Judith Wilson), Chiyono Jaeger (Mary Stassinopoulos),
Lucy Kemp (Elisabeth Swan), Sarah Kearvell (Larraine Heaffey/ Jennifer
Morgan), Esme Jones (Susan Dingle)
Senior
Award
Joint
winners:
Rebecca Cook (Mary-Jane Duckworth) &
Sarah Du-Feu (Susan Handy)
Runners
up:
Lucy Durno & Belinda Oddy (Elisabeth Swan)
Commended:
Cara O'Shea (Juliet Locks/Lucy Pohl), Helen Stevenson (Gillian Robinson),
Sarah Riches (Susan Handy), Claire Orme (Elisabeth Swan), Emily Shield
(Vanessa Gardner) & Chelsea Crossan (Larraine Heaffey/ Jennifer Morgan)
Barbara
Geoghegan Award
Winner:
Sarah Wilkinson (Central School of Ballet)
Runners
up:
Amy Thake & Emily Dowse (Royal Ballet School)
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