Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB) has announced 18-year-old Georgia Powley as its 2016 scholarship recipient. Powley, a second year student at New Zealand School of Dance (NZSD), will join the company in 2016.
The award is supported by Todd Corporation, whose chairman Geoff Rickets commented: ‘We are delighted to continue our relationship with both the New Zealand School of Dance and the Royal New Zealand Ballet by providing this opportunity for talented young dancers.’
It is the 16th such scholarship awarded by Todd Corporation, with past recipients including Paul Mathews, Katherine Grange and Laura Jones. NZSD is the is the official school of RNZB, with RNZB artistic director Francesco Ventriglia teaching a weekly class there.
A second NZDS student, Felipe Domingos, will also join RNZB in 2016, having impressed Ventriglia during classes. 18-year-old Domingos is a Brazlian native and has previously been invited to join Princess Grace Academy in Monte Carlo and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre in New York.
‘We look forward to giving both Georgia and Felipe the chance to join us in 2016 and watching them develop into accomplished dancers with the RNZB,’ said Ventriglia. ‘Nurturing new talents in ballet is an incredibly important part of our work.’
RNZB is recently toured two shows in England simultaneously, with Giselle and mixed bill A Passing Cloud both receiving good reviews. Powley and Domingos will start work at RNZB on 11 January with rehearsals for another mixed bill Speed of Light, which will be part of Auckland Arts Festival.
