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How old are you Joshua and when did you discover your passion for dance?
 I am currently 15 years old and I know that I have always loved to dance and to perform. But, I only discovered a true passion for dance, when I was mature enough, so when I was around 13 years old.

Could you tell us something about the moment in which you decided to take part to the CICB selection?
Firstly, I found out from my lovely Cecchetti teacher, Anne Butler, that many of my close peers, friends and I were selected and given the opportunity to take part in the CICB2017 competition in Florence, Italy. I clearly remember hearing both my friends and my name being read out and being so excited and hugged in excitement. It was so nice to share this opportunity and experience with so many of my close friends and family, that I got to know even better throughout the preparation and journey of getting to Italy and being in the warmth of Italy.

When you arrived at the conference in Palazzo Vecchio and you saw the other competitors, the jury, the teachers and the guests, which were your feelings?
Well we had already had class earlier that morning at Opus Ballet, so I got to meet some of the other competitors and teachers. But, it was nice to formally talk to some of the other international competitors and teachers. With the grand welcome presentation at Palazzo Vecchio, it made me super excited for the rest of the upcoming week of dancing, learning and performing. It was also super exciting to have so many prestigious international jury members from right across the world from various world renowned companies and organisations. 

During the CICB week you followed many lessons with various teachers. Is there a lesson you liked the most?
I know it sounds cliche, but personally I didn’t have a favourite lesson as I loved learning and getting taught by both globally renowned industry professionals, such as Franco De Vita (ballet) and Paulo Lauri (contemporary) and learning so much from their vast knowledge in their expertise’s. I definitely learnt a lot in the time we had, plus it is always valuable to have a wide variety of teachers.

You received the Most Promising Dancer Award and the Audience Choice Award. Talk to us about your feelings and thoughts when your name was called.
Answer: Firstly, when I was called out for the Audience Choice Award (Junior), it was like a blurr, I was just so overwhelmed and honestly shocked as it all happened so quickly. When I was called out for the Most Promising Dancer Award (Junior), I didn’t even realise at first what I had won. Later, I came to realise and felt very honoured, but still so overwhelmed as everything was all just happening at once and it is quite hard to comprehend. It was just all so overwhelming, as all these opportunities for my future, in the thing I love to do(Dance), is all happening in the span of 15 minutes. Just a message to everyone, it’s not about how many awards or competitions you win, that doesn’t define you or where you will end up. It’s your hard work and dedication everyday and so many other aspects, don’t let one competition determine your future. But, competitions like this and many more, are a great opportunity for dancers to open up there pathways and to get experience and knowledge from practicing and performing solos on different spaces and stages.

In your opinion, which is the quality that a good male dancer should have? Did the Cecchetti method enhance this quality, in you?
I personally believe, that a vital quality a good male dancer should have is a good, truthful performance quality, that comes from within and expresses your true feelings or some kind of connection. Throughout my two years studying the Cecchetti method(at VCASS, Melbourne), I definitely believe it has helped enhance these performance qualities, especially through the rehearsals of both classical and contemporary solos, to the lead up to this competition. But, I guess there are exceptions to this, as you sometimes have to play characters.

If you could pick a moment of the week to live again, which one would you choose?
The one moment I would pick to live again from the week, is performing both of the solos on the raked stage at the Finals, at Obihall, As I felt pure happiness and joy, through performing my classical solo(Franz, Coppélia: Act 3) & the genuine connection to the emotional intention, through performing my contemporary solo(Choreographed by Steven McTaggart). 

Could you express in words what dance means to you?
To be honest, that is very difficult for me to do, as dance means so very much to me and I feel that me writing it in words, wouldn’t do it justice. Anyway, I just love the freedom you get whilst dancing, as you get to put your soul and personality into your dancing. I get really engulfed by the persona of certain roles, such as in my contemporary solo. The adrenaline you get through your body as you perform on grand stages, to vast audiences, with most people you will never even get to meet. Just so many aspects of dancing makes me so happy and warm inside, it really is hard to explain. For me, improvising is like a form of meditation, I just feel so free to move all my body in anyway I possibly can, without having any judgement. Plus, I always love coming back to my daily ballet classes to work and refine on my vital technique to help me with all the dance genres and styles.

How has your life changed after CICB2017?
Well, any time you get to dance, you change and enhance your knowledge every single day, so every opportunity to dance is a small step towards changing your dance life. But, since the CICB207 Competition, in August, it has opened up so many opportunities for me and so many other competitors to do what they love internationally. Since August, it has really made me think about my career more, which is usually extremely difficult to think about, as it can be quite confronting, as we are still quite young.

Is there anything else you want to say?
Definitely, as there are so, so many people I have to thank for there endless support and time they put in to help me on my dancing journey and definitely don’t get enough credit for it. Firstly, I have to thank all the endless hours that have gone into organising this competition, to make it this successful. A huge thanks to all my mentors and teachers from VCASS. A genuine massive, sincere thankyou to my Cecchetti teacher, Anne Butler, who put so, so much effort into organising and getting us prepared for the competition. Also, to my friends and family for always supporting me along the way, even internationally, nothing would be possible without them. Then also to Steven McTaggart, for creating and working with me on my contemporary solo. There are so many people I can thank, the list goes on, but I really do appreciate all the effort that goes in to getting everything prepared. Thankyou for the Cecchetti syllabus, for creating this opportunity for so many young dancers, worldwide. 

Interviewer: Eleonora Secchi

When you did the first CICB selection in Australia, would you have ever imagined that you could have been the winner of the competition?
I’ve worked so hard in preparing for this moment however with so many talented dancers you never know which way things will go.

Maestro Enrico Cecchetti Award. Which was your feeling when your name was called to receive the most important Cecchetti award?
Surprised, overjoyed, honoured, I was feeling so many emotions when my name was called, I couldn’t believe it, it really was one of the most incredible moments of my life.  

 Tell us something about your classical variation. Why did you choose it and how did you feel when you danced in front of the jury? 
The Classical Variation I chose to perform is from the Ballet, “Don Quixote”. My character Basilio, is very charismatic and witty which made this role so intriguing to play. It’s a fun and entertaining solo with a lot of energy and was amazing to perform this solo in front the esteemed jury.  

 Is there a moment of the CICB event you liked the most? Which were your feelings? 
My favourite moment was the finals night after having performed my two solos, I felt that I danced with all my heart and gave it my all, feeling a true sense of achievement.

 N°55... is this your new lucky number? 🙂
Haha. I would have to say yes! 

You also won the Audience Choice Award. Were you proud to be the dancer who people preferred the most?
It was truly an honour to be selected by the audience as I felt they were with me all the way which in turn lifted my performance even further.

Do you want to talk us about the scholarships you received?
I was lucky enough to receive a scholarship to the Washington School of Ballet and having Larissa Saveliev acknowledge my ability was very encouraging and I look forward to exploring these options in 2018.

As a male dancer, do you think Cecchetti Method enhanced your qualities? 
I believe the Cecchetti Method does enhance the male quality as it shapes and an adaptable dancer providing a strong foundation and sense of artistry that is required for a male dancer.

You know Cecchetti was Italian and studied in Florence. Was it exciting to be in a place in which the Maestro lived and danced? Did you feel a deeper connection between you and the method you studied for years?
Florence is a beautiful city with a rich history and just being there knowing that Maestro Cecchetti lived and danced there gave me a deeper connection and understanding of Cecchetti Method.

Who is your inspirational dance model?
I am inspired by many male dancers it would be hard to pick just one, however I am always inspired by Daniil Simkin’s turns and Tetsuya Kumakawa’s incredible ballon and leaps.

Which are your suggestions for the 2020 CICB competitors?
Just relax, enjoy the moment and take it all in.

Is there someone you want to thank for supporting you in this Competition?
I would like to thank my family for their support, Lucinda Dunn, all my teachers at Tanya Pearson’s Academy and in particular my Cecchetti Teachers Donna Holmes, Robyn Ross, and Valerie Jenkins for being there with me in Italy.

Interviewer: Eleonora Secchi

Where do you live Noah and when did you begin to study Cecchetti Method?
I live in Perth, Western Australia, and have been trained in the Cecchetti method since I started ballet at age four.

Which were your feelings at the exact moment you realized you were chosen among so many people to Represent Australia at CICB? 
I was very excited to be chosen to represent Australia in the beautiful city of Florence.  It was honour to compete amongst so many talented dancers. I was very grateful that I would be given the opportunity to meet with and learn from teachers all over the world.

When you arrived in Florence and the competition started, which were your thoughts? 
I arrived in Florence after several weeks in Europe, including two weeks at the Paris Opera Ballet Summer Intensive, so was tired but very excited to begin. As the competition progressed, it was amazing to see all the talent from around the world, and it was great meeting dancers who were friendly and had the same passion for dance as me.

Do you think you have something in common with the other competitors from all around the world?
When starting the competition, it was easy to see that everyone around me all wanted to dance the best they could, and I could see that there were many people who have the same dreams and goals as me. I think the one thing that everyone had in common was our love of dance and training in the Cecchetti Method. This passed all language barriers between competitors and it helped us to work hard and support each other throughout the week.

You are the winner of Musicality Award. Tell us about your feelings during your final performance. 
During the finals, I was nervous but also excited to dance. I wanted to just dance and perform my best, regardless of the outcome. It was a huge surprise when I won the Musicality Award, and I was so honoured to have been chosen by the incredibly jury led by Dame Monica Mason.

Would you say this experience could contribute to achieve the goal to become a professional dancer?
At the competition, I won various scholarships to schools across the world, and a place in the Youth America Grand Prix New York City Finals 2018. These are huge opportunities that I would not have if I had not competed at CICB, and the prize money from the Musicality Award will assist with flights for the overseas trips. I was also extremely privileged to work with Mr Franco De Vita, and learn from him throughout the week, as well as receiving exposure to the jury members from around the world.

Which kind of role you would like to play in the future, Noah? In which theatre would you love to perform the most?
In the future, I would love to dance in the Royal Ballet, or another ballet company in Europe. I also love the San Francisco and Houston Ballet companies.   My dream is to one day dance in Principal roles in a major ballet company.

 What have you learned and what will you take with you from this CICB experience?
I had an incredible week of learning and personal growth through the CICB experience, and it helped me to develop as a person and a dancer. I learned from teachers across the world, and danced on a raked stage for the first time. This was a unique experience that has helped prepare me for any other time I may need to dance in an area out of my comfort zone. Overall, the CICB experience has helped me develop my artistry and technique further, and is an experience that I will never forget.

Interviewer: Eleonora Secchi

Quanti anni hai Rachele e da quanto tempo studi il metodo Cecchetti?
Ho sedici anni e studio il metodo Cecchetti da sei anni.

Quando hai deciso che nella vita avresti voluto fare la ballerina?
Non credo che ci sia stato un momento preciso in cui ho deciso che avrei voluto fare la ballerina; ballare è sempre stata una mia passione, una parte di me e della mia vita quotidiana. 

Quest'estate hai partecipato come stagista al Cecchetti International Classical Ballet Competition. Com'è stato per te affrontare un'esperienza in un contesto così grande?
E' stata un’esperienza meravigliosa. Ho avuto l’opportunità  di vedere il concorso e mi sono immedesimata nella gara domandandomi: cosa si prova a essere parte di un evento così importante ? Posso dire, anche solo attraverso lo stage, che mi sono sentita fortunata e onorata di aver preso parte ad una manifestazione di questa portata.