RAD Australia unites 19 schools in one event

On Saturday, March 25, nearly 300 Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) students from Victoria and Tasmania came together to celebrate dance in the region at the RAD Showcase performance, which is now a key feature in the RAD dance calendar for the year. Held at the National Theatre in St. Kilda, the event was sponsored by the RAD Victoria/Tasmania Regional Advisory Panel as well as brands Energetiks and Capezio.

Nineteen schools performed varied pieces, from classical to contemporary and beyond. One of the highlights was the Tasmanian Youth Classical Ballet Company, which made the journey to Melbourne to perform. 26 students from six Tasmanian schools performed Didn’t Leave Nobody by Shayne Davies.

Victorian RAD scholarship winners from the Audrey Nicholls Grade Awards and the Kathleen Gorham Awards—Grace Campbell, Emmanuelle Fairweather and Emma Dowling (all from Jane Moore Academy of Ballet) —each performed a classical solo.

An added bonus was the performances of Milei Lee (VCASS), Lily Sophia Dashwood and Charlie Dashwood (Jane Moore and Andie Dashwood) – the Victorian winners of the Australia wide Genée Dance Challenge from 2016. Each performed his/her winning solo.

Now an annual feature on the Victorian dance calendar, Showcase is an opportunity for the RAD community to come together and celebrate both schools and individuals who have achieved throughout the year.

For more information on RAD Australia, visit www.rad.org.au.

Photo (top): Anita Coutts School of Dance. Photo (left): Brian Nolan Academy of Dance. Photo (right): National Theatre with the “Maypole Dance” from Coppelia. All photos by WinkiPop Media.