For one young dancer, the Wollongong Eisteddfod is not just an opportunity to wear fancy costumes, it’s a chance to show the world she is serious about ballet.
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Lucy Angel, 13, won first place in the Classical Ballet Solo on Monday for a piece choreographed by the Joanne Grace School of Dance, and only last week beat hopefuls from around the country in a similar section at the Sydney Eisteddfod.
‘‘She’s super serious about [ballet], she does about 40 hours a week ... it’s her big focus, and even had studio hire this morning so she could practise before her performance today,’’ her mum Tina Angel said.
The Mount Pleasant local began dancing at the age of three after a speech therapist suggested the pastime could be something to explore.
‘‘She actually couldn’t hear properly and speak very well, all she did was dance,’’ Mrs Angel said. ‘‘She’s just thrived, and has worked really hard to overcome her speech problems, and now it’s her place in the world and she does really well at it.’’
By the time her daughter was eight she was competing in multiple eisteddfods, and last year was invited to compete at New York’s Lincoln Centre for the Youth America Grand Prix – ‘‘the Olympics of ballet’’.
‘‘She’s definitely on the right path and achieving a lot ... a real accomplishment without having to give up school,’’ Mrs Angel said. ‘‘Our intention is to stay local for as long as she can keep up with the serious full-time kids ... but certainly she would be interested in anything based anywhere, and has already got her eyes on overseas companies that she’d love to go and check out.’’
Lucy will also compete in several other eisteddfod dance sections, including the Jazz Championship Solo and Classical Ballet Scholarship.