Teen en pointe for ballet school
Dedicated 17-yearold realises her dancing dream to study overseas.
An Auckland teen has scored a coveted spot at the world-renowned Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance in London. Ballet dancer Zoe White, 17, was “jumping for joy” when she found out she’d been accepted into the Bachelor of Arts programme at the school, which was founded by Ballets Russes dancer Marie Rambert in 1920 and is regarded as one of the best dance schools in Britain.
It was a dream come true for Zoe, who has been dancing since she was 3. She started Kiwi ballet dancer Kathleen-Malee Smith’s two-year intensive Dancer in Development programme at the start of 2016.
“My training at the moment involves about 27 hours of dancing a week and that includes a two-hour open class every day and pointe classes in the afternoon.”
Earlier this year she sent audition videos to several European schools, including the Royal Conservatoire in Scotland, which also offered her a place, but Rambert was her top pick.
“The more I learned about it the more I was interested because they have a kind of equal amount of ballet and contemporary training, which I’m really into, and you do lots of choreography as well and I love that.”
Smith was equally excited when she found out Zoe had been accepted into Rambert.
“I couldn’t believe it and I had to give her a double hug.
“It’s a hugely prestigious school . . . so we’re extremely proud that one of our students has been accepted.”
It was rare for New Zealanders to be accepted into the school.
Smith said she knew of only one or two other Kiwis who’d attended and Zoe had worked hard get in.
“She’s on her next step now to achieving her dream, so it’s wonderful.”
In September Zoe will start a threeyear course in ballet and contemporary dance at Rambert, which counts former Royal New Zealand Ballet dancer Cameron McMillan — who now works as a freelance dancer and choreographer in London — among its alumni.
After completing her degree Zoe hopes to get in to the Royal New Zealand Ballet or Netherlands Dance Theatre as a professional dancer.
“Then I’d like to choreograph my own works — that’d be really rewarding, I think,” Zoe said.
Course fees for 2017-18 are £17,850 ($33,500) for overseas students, the school’s website says.
She’s not the only Kiwi dancer with big dreams who is making her mark on the ballet world.
Another of Smith’s students, 16-year-old Isabel “Izzie” Bloomfield, will attend the summer school pro-