Poised for success
Young dancer Daniella Brown enjoys a ballet masterclass
A talented young dancer brought the New Year in with a bang by securing a highly coveted masterclass with one of the country’s top ballerinas.
Daniella Brown (18), from Whitehills, a st u d e nt a t Ba ll e t Wes t Sc o t l a n d i n Taynuilt, Perthshire, was overjoyed when Catarina Lappin agreed to give her a private masterclass.
As a professional baller i na Catarina has danced throughout Europe and as far afield as Russia, Canada and Japan but returned to Scotland this month as a guest choreographer with Ballet West.
And on her return home to visit family, Catar i na, or i gi nally f rom St L eonards, agreed to give Daniella one-to-one tuition after she was contacted by the teenager’s mum, Tracy.
Daniella , who attended Heathery Knowe Primary and the Dance School of Scotland told the News the masterclass came as a complete surprise.
“I didn’t know my mum had somehow managed to arrange the private masterclass at t he John Wright Sports Centre,” she said.
“It came as a surprise when I found out a few weeks beforehand – but it was definitely a good one.”
Da n i e l l a we n t o n : “Wo rk i n g wi t h someone like Catarina one-to-one really was a great opportunity.
“It ’s not often you get t he chance t o be taught by such a talented dancer and choreographer and it was great to get her help and advice.”
Although Daniella started dancing at just two years old, she didn’t start ballet training until she was nine.
However, she soon excelled and won a place on the prestigious Scottish Ballet Junior Associates Scheme.
And it was through the year-long scheme, which i s open t o P6/ 7 pupils, Daniella auditioned for the Dance School of Scotland at Knightswood Secondary School.
The teenager continued: “I always loved dancing but it was when I auditioned for Knights wood t hat I re al i s e d I wanted to ta k e i t more se r i o u s l y an d da n c e professionally.
“It was hard moving away from home at such a young age.
“But it is a great school and we had ballet and dance classes every day in between our mainstream classes.”
Daniella is now in her second year of an HND at Ballet West and plans to stay on for a third year to get her degree.
She went on: “Although I am still training at Ballet West the company is as near to a professional dance company as you can get.
“Every year we do a tour around Scotland. Last year we did Swan Lake, which was choreographed by Daniel Jobb, and I was a signet and in the pas de trois.
“On Februar y 14 we are putting on a production of Romeo and Juli et at t he SECC.”
Daniella added: “Once I l eave Ballet West I will be l ooking to f i nd a j ob in a professional company.
“There are so many to choose from but I would like to do more contemporary ballets in the future.”