On Sunday, the Ballet Department were thrilled to welcome the auditioning candidates for our 11+ Ballet Scholarships. The day presented a wonderful display of passion and love for ballet, choreographic creativity and an opportunity for young ballet dancers from many different schools to meet other ambitious ballerinas just like them. It was fabulous to see such a high calibre of dancing alongside insightful interviews and a Q&A with our current Ballet Scholars across all year groups. To add to the excitement of the day, we were honoured to have Dame Darcey Bussell DBE join our panel and help with the adjudicating. Dame Darcey is a former principal with the Royal Ballet and the President of the Royal Academy of Dance, the examining board we take our termly ballet exams under.

The below is from our current Ballet Scholars:

”I am incredibly grateful for the amazing opportunity to meet Dame Darcey Bussell. When we walked into the room, we were immediately put at ease by her warm and welcoming smile. After the introductions, we stood together for a photo, capturing this unforgettable moment. Dame Darcey was truly inspiring, and we were captivated by her answers to our questions. Hearing about her favourite roles to dance and the ballets she loves was incredibly motivating. She spoke about how her roles are often very different from one another, and one example she shared was her role of Manon. She explained that the role requires both acting and performance, making it especially enjoyable. After this incredible experience, we headed upstairs to greet the Year 6 girls auditioning for the Ballet Scholarship. It was an exciting opportunity to share my passion for ballet with them and to tell them about the amazing opportunities that come with being a ballet scholar at FHS.” – Lyra, Year 8

”Every little girl has a dream to meet Dame Darcey Bussell and we as ballet scholars were so lucky to have that dream fulfilled. Darcey is the epitome of elegance, grace and poise and a true inspiration as someone who has mastered their craft. From her children’s book series, Magic Ballerina to her discussions of ballet performances at the streamed ROH shows, Bussell is a true influence not only across the ballet world but also to the regular audience. It was beyond interesting to learn from her own experiences, acting as a guidance for the ballet path. I am so glad that the young potential ballet scholars had the opportunity to have her judge their audition and meet a true idol. ” – Sacha, Year 10 

Ms Phelan, Chelsea Ballet Schools