Georgia Lorange has been awarded first place in the Sydney Eisteddfod Ballet Scholarship, representing Tamborine Mountain Dance Academy (TDMA).
The 16-year-old, who trained in her early years at TMDA and now teaches there, competed against eight finalists at the Sydney Opera House to win an $18,000 scholarship.
The scholarship is the most valuable and prestigious ballet award in the Southern Hemisphere.
“It really was incredible to know I could help my family out financially as the money they spend on me to give me the best opportunities is exorbitant. I was overjoyed to see my hard work pay off,” Georgia said.
She went through a gruelling four rounds to get into the finals, making it a challenging process.
“It was an incredible experience to keep pushing through each stage of the competition. I also received scholarship offers from Queensland Ballet Academy, Australian Ballet School, and Houston Ballet Academy, so I’m very excited about what the future holds,” she said.
It also provided Georgia with an opportunity to showcase her passion for choreography, taking a chance by creating and performing her own contemporary piece for the Sydney Eisteddfod.
“It was an incredible experience to showcase my first creation on the Opera House stage,” she said.
“My goal is to become a principal dancer in a professional ballet company. Although ballet remains my primary focus, I also want to explore contemporary dance, which I believe is crucial to the future of ballet companies.
Georgia said being homeschooled from the age of seven has given her the freedom to pursue her passions and to flourish independently from a young age.
“My training schedule varies each week, but I love my alone time in the studio, where I can slowly refine my technique and enhance my performance quality,” she said.
Owner of Tamborine Mountain Dance Academy, Poppy-Jane Todd said Georgia is an incredibly gifted dancer and a diligent and passionate student of her craft.
“Not only have her years of hard work in the studio given her the confidence and technical proficiency of a dancer beyond her years, but natural grace and stunning presence on stage mean that she is a joy to watch,” Poppy- Jane said.
“She is a wonderful role model and teacher for all of our students and her success is a testament to her unparalleled work ethic, creativity and passion for dance.”
