KS Dance is Host to the Prestigious Cyril Beaumont Cecchetti Scholarship Award.
The Cyril Beaumont Scholarship is one of the Autumn Term highlights of the year at KS and even more special this year as we celebrate 100 years of the Cecchetti Method. The ballet historian, author and critic Cyril Beaumont, was a good friend to Maestro Enrico Cecchetti and it was through the influence of Cyril Beaumont that the Cecchetti Society was founded in 1922, to preserve and promote the Maestro Enrico Cecchetti’s work.
The Cyril Beaumont Scholarship is so generously supported by the Cecchetti Trust. In total 15 girls and 4 Boys competed for the scholarship award 2021.
Our students welcomed their Adjudicators Catherine Hutchon, Ex Chair of The Cecchetti Society and Member of the Cecchetti Society Trust, beside Soloist Dancer of Birmingham Royal Ballet, Lachlan Monaghan,
We were thrilled that Catherine and Lachlan joined us in the studios to adjudicate, along with former Principal Dancer of The Royal Ballet Company, and Patron of KS Dance, Brenda Last OBE, David Lloyd, Alison Ayin Patrons, friends and long-time supporters of the college, accompanied by Cecchetti Society Trust member Kristina Rogge, who also watched the wonderfully choreographed class, delivered by the ‘one and only’ Miss Gillian Hurst, Deputy Principal of KS Dance.
This year the dancers were yet again put through their paces by the ever-inspiring Gillian Hurst, Senior Examiner and Committee Member of the Cecchetti Classical Ballet Faculty, Holder of the Enrico Cecchetti Diploma and Fellow of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, who taught a very challenging, yet beautifully choreographed ballet class. Gillian delivered her ‘free’ class with a well-balanced mixture of eloquence, grace, light humour and encouragement to all of the dancers, pausing the class only briefly for a small pep talk on getting the dancers to relax, by using the music and reminding them to enjoy their talent and art form. The incredibly talented pianist Jonnie Gait accompanied Gillian in playing for class. Jonnie’s enthusiasm and enjoyment for music allows the dancers to bring their own personality and performance levels to new heights.
Congratulations Dancers
The Cyril Beaumont Scholarship 2021 results are:
Winner – Melissa Hughes (centre)
Runner Up – Katie Maddox (left)
Mary Jane Duckworth Prize – Oisín Middleton (centre)
Musicality Award – Hannah Gerrard (right
Commendations were awarded to;
Cara Rees, Kate Reaney, Emily Harrison, Tamlyn Preston and Toby Johnson
