Mira Meijer (left) and Billie Dufty with Caleb Loader of Whanganui Ballet and Dance Academy.
PICTURE / PAUL BROOKS
Mira Meijer (left) and Billie Dufty with Caleb Loader of Whanganui Ballet and Dance Academy.
PICTURE / PAUL BROOKS
Caleb Loader might only be 10 years old, but he knows what he wants in life. His dream is to be a professional dancer, and it's a dream which could come true.
The Whanganui Ballet and Dance Academy student has recently become a recipient of the 2020 RAD Project BScholarship. This scholarship, created between New Zealand School of Dance and Royal Academy of Dance New Zealand, assists young male dancers to further their ballet training at the NZSD National Scholars Programme. "The New Zealand School of Dance has a Scholars' Programme and children audition nationally for a place on the programme," says Anna Chandulal, Whanganui Ballet and Dance Academy director and tutor. "It's to create further training and a pathway through to the NZ School of Dance for talented classical dancers."
Mira Meijer and Billie Dufty, also Anna's students, have both been reaccepted as Level 5 and 3 National Scholars at the New Zealand School of Dance. Mira is currently an Advanced one student at WBDA and Billie an Intermediate student.
"Each year they have to be assessed by the staff of the school and the head of the Scholars' Programme to see if they can go through to the next year. There's no guarantee and it's only for those students who could potentially go into a classical career," says Anna. "Now Caleb has been accepted as a Level 1 scholar, which is the first level for 10-year-olds, and it progresses through to Level 6 up to 16 years. After that they're expected to go to full-time training."
The programme is a pathway to NZSD but many also go to big schools overseas for their training, if accepted. "In saying that, a lot of those people go through to NZSD and into the Royal NZ Ballet Company."
When Anna started the school in Whanganui it was always her aim to get students accepted into the Scholars' Programme, overcoming the provincial mindset that local children are not as good as dancers from big cities. "If you provide a good foundation, there's no reason why a student anywhere can go on to anything. Since I started the school 10 years ago I've had six students through the Scholars' Programme. So I'm very happy this is happening, and they [Mira, Billie and Caleb] are a good example to younger students. I'm so proud of Caleb because he has always been self-motivated and worked hard."
Caleb was selected out of 15 boys who auditioned. "This is a big opportunity to dance," he says. "I've always wanted to be a professional dancer." Caleb has been dancing since he was 5. "My two older sisters were doing it and it looked like they were having so much fun so I thought I might have a go."
Billie is 12 years old and is excited about her second year in the Scholars' Programme. "My family is very proud of me and support me," she says. Billie says older dance students inspired her, helping her reach high in the hope of becoming a professional dancer one day. She has been dancing since she was 3.
Mira is 13 and this is her third foray into the programme. "It's such a great opportunity to be part of the NZSD Scholars' Programme and it's a good stepping stone to become a professional dancer." Mira wants to be part of Royal NZ Ballet Company. "I wanted to do this since I was 5. I've been working towards that goal." The young dancers attend the programme twice a term plus a week-long winter school in July. "It's really good because they get to dance with other children who are at a similar level and have similar aspirations. Once they get that exposure it pushes them along," says Anna.
