Local ballet dancer earns near-perfect score in U.S.
North Vancouver teenager wins gold at a top international competition in Florida
A 15-year-old ballet dancer from North Vancouver is the first Canadian to win gold at one of the top international competitions in the U.S.
Ashley Coupal, a senior professional student at Goh Ballet Academy, won the top prize in the 14- to 16-year-old age category at the World Ballet Competition in Orlando, Fla.
She achieved a near perfect score of 9.850 in the final Round 3 solo ballet performance.
Coupal will be performing in Vancouver in August at the Global Dance Challenge.
Coupal said she was very conscious of doing well as a Canadian in the competition that attracted top dancers from 27 countries.
“I was going to this world ballet competition to represent Canada,” she said.
“I was the first Canadian to win gold at this competition — that really meant a lot to me. I really wanted to represent my country and show that there’s not only good dancers in America and internationally but also in Canada.”
Coupal was interviewed by phone from New York, where she is on a paid five-week summer intensive contract with American Ballet Theatre.
Coupal was born and raised in North Vancouver. She has been enrolled at Goh Ballet for a year as a senior professional student. She’s been dancing in Goh’s annual Nutcracker at Christmas since she was 10 years old.
For the final solo, Coupal danced two classical variations: one as a peasant dancer in Giselle; the other a more regal section from Paquita. The idea was to show her versatility as a dancer able to inhabit different characters onstage.
“It’s very important that a dancer is not only technical but is also able to show artistry and elegance of the character,” Coupal said. “That’s mostly what (the judges) are looking for.”
The World Ballet Competition, for dancers aged nine to 24, takes place annually in Orlando, and the 12th edition was held in June.
Chan Hon Goh, director of Goh Ballet, was in Orlando with Coupal when she won her gold medal.
Goh said Coupal’s achievement reminded her of Celine Gittens. Gittens, who was born in Trinidad, grew up in Vancouver and trained at Goh Ballet. In 2005 she won both gold and audience choice at the London-based Royal Academy of Dance Genée International Ballet Competition. Gittens became a principal dancer at the Birmingham Royal Ballet in 2017.
Goh said it was thrilling to see Coupal take home gold.
“I’m so proud to share that this home grown talent has done so well,” Goh said. “It’s a vote of confidence for what we do. It’s what we have always prided ourselves in doing: giving and supporting young dancers with the best training possible.”
Goh Ballet was also recognized for its teaching in Orlando. The best teacher award went to both Olga Iakovlevskaya, senior instructor, and Chan Hon Goh, for their work with Coupal.
Goh said Coupal’s gold medal shows that local dance students can receive top calibre dance training at home without having to relocate.
Global Dance Challenge semifinals are Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 13 and 14 at the Vancouver Playhouse. Finals are at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre Wednesday, Aug. 15.