KNYSNA NEWS - In a positive tour de force, four of the leading ballet dancers at the the Sidwell Roman School of Ballet in Knysna have returned victorious and dripping in gold from the Cape Town Eisteddfod.
Roman, Thristan Pedro, Elrese Matthews, Hanna Mickelwood, Zoe Metelerkamp and their small support group made the road trip last week to compete in this highlight on the amateur ballet calendar. The exceptionally well-run event took place in the Sea Point Civic Theatre amongst stressed mums and screeching gulls. The region hosts thirty of the Cape's finest ballet studios and hundreds of students were evaluated in a programme that extended over a couple of weeks, culminating in final performances on Friday and Saturday, May 8 and 9.
During the preliminary rounds, contestants were evaluated in specific heats and graded in ascending order with a pass, merit, honours or gold diploma. Only those gaining high honours or a gold diploma were asked to return for the final performances. If they were the only ones to make it through, they were outright winners and won final gold medals, and if contested the winners were judged on finals.
In the heats, despite or perhaps because of the strict adjudication of Glynnis van Blerk, all four of the local girls were awarded honours or gold diplomas. They all qualified to take part in the finals for the six categories in which they competed. In addition, Roman was given special mention and praise for his classical approach, understanding of his students and beautiful choreography.
Friday night's finals saw the girls perform in a duet, a trio and a quartet. They danced magnificently and although already outright winners in the duet and trio, they crowned their glory by dancing to victory against two other groups in the quartet category. Sidwell was congratulated on giving the audience a new understanding of and insight into Chopin’s well-known Nocturne op 9 No 2 Andante, and indeed it was a performance of exquisite lightness and beauty.
Saturday night brought the huge pressure and nerves of solos in which Mickelwood kept up the side by winning both in the classical and own choice categories. The others all danced very well but were pipped at the post by some of the hard-core Cape Town young ladies.
Results
Thristan Pedro Creative movement trio (13 and over): gold diploma and gold medal winner;Amateur quartet (13 and over): gold diploma and gold medal winner;
Classical own choice (15-16): gold diploma;
Demi-character (15-16): gold diploma;
Senior open own choice: honours.
Creative movement trio (13 and over): gold diploma and gold medal winner;
Amateur quartet (13 and over): gold diploma and gold medal winner;
Demi-character (13): honours;
Senior open own choice: gold diploma.
Pre-amateur duet (13 and over): gold diploma and gold medal winner;
Creative movement trio (13 and over): gold diploma and gold medal winner;
Amateur quartet (13 and over): gold diploma and gold medal winner;
Demi-character (13): gold diploma;
Senior open own choice: gold diploma and gold medal winner;
Classical own choice (13): gold diploma and gold medal winner.
Pre-amateur duet (13 and over): gold diploma and gold medal winner;
Creative movement trio (13 and over): gold diploma and gold medal winner;
Amateur quartet (13 and over): gold diploma and gold medal winner;
Demi-character (13): gold diploma;
Senior open own choice: gold diploma;
Classical own choice (13): gold diploma.
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