Kiwi girl to attend top UK ballet school Rambert

Dedicated 17-year-old realises her dancing dream to study overseas.

An Auckland teen has scored a coveted spot at the world-renowned Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance in London.

Ballet dancer Zoe White, 17, was literally "jumping for joy" when she found out she'd been accepted into the Bachelor of Arts programme at the school, which was founded by Ballet Russes dancer Marie Rambert in 1920 and is regarded as one of the best dance schools in Britain.

It was a dream come true for Zoe, who has been dancing since she was three. She started Kiwi ballet dancer Kathleen-Malee Smith's two-year intensive Dancer in Development programme at the start of 2016.

"My training at the moment involves about 27 hours of dancing a week and that includes a two hour open class every day and pointe classes in the afternoon. We have contemporary, Pilates and repertoire," Zoe said.

Earlier this year she sent audition videos to several European schools, including the Royal Conservatoire in Scotland which she also got in to, but Rambert was her top pick.

"The more I learnt about it the more I was interested because they have a kind of equal amount of ballet and contemporary training which I'm really into and you do lots of choreography as well and I love that."

Smith was equally excited when she found out Zoe had been accepted into Rambert.

"I couldn't believe it and I had to give her a double hug.

"It's a hugely prestigious school . . . so we're extremely proud that one of our students has been accepted."

It was rare for New Zealanders to be accepted into the school. Smith said she knew of only one or two other Kiwis who'd attended and Zoe had worked hard get in.

"She's on her next step now to achieving her dream, so it's wonderful."

In September Zoe will start a three year course in ballet and contemporary dance at Rambert, which counts former Royal New Zealand Ballet dancer Cameron McMillan - who now works as a freelance dancer and choreographer in London - among its alumni.

After completing her degree she hopes to get in to the Royal New Zealand Ballet or Netherlands Dance Theatre as a professional dancer.

"Then I'd like to choreograph my own works - that'd be really rewarding I think," Zoe said.

Course fees for the year 2017-18 are £17,850 for overseas students, the school's website says.

She's not the only Kiwi dancer with big dreams who is making her mark on the ballet world.

Another of Smith's students, 16-year-old Isabel "Izzie" Bloomfield, will attend the summer school programme at the Academie de Princess Grace in Monaco, Monte Carlo in July.

"I'm staying at the boarding school, which is really exciting because I'll get to see all the facilities, and it's really intense - it's five and a half days, from 9 till 6, of just ballet," Izzie said.

"Hopefully from that summer school I'll be getting into their full time programme."