In line with our values, excellence and balanced education, our students are recognised each year during the graduation ceremony for their artistic and academic achievements with a suite of student awards. And certainly, it was a significant moment when the 2021 Dux of The Australian Ballet School was announced and awarded to Bryce Latham for his exceptional progress and achievements throughout the year.

The Dux is awarded annually to a Graduate Diploma of Classical Ballet (Level 8) student for their commitment at the School and performance at the highest level.

For Bryce, it was an acknowledgment of his hard work, dedication, and desire for continued improvement. He did his best in every aspect of his program, and as he expressed, “receiving Dux of the School solidified my personal goals for improvement had paid off. I knew the areas I needed to focus on, built a plan with the support of my wonderful teachers and made it happen. Also, my family relocated from regional NSW to Melbourne, so I was ecstatic to make them all so proud of me and know that our sacrifices had been so worthwhile. While it’s just a part of my dance journey, it certainly was a great way to end five years at The Australian Ballet School, and I couldn’t be more proud of myself”.

Bryce grew up on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. He began his training at the School at Level 4 in 2017. In 2019, Bryce was the first recipient to be awarded The Australian Ballet School’s Community Award. A performance highlight for Bryce was being cast in The Australian Ballet’s 2017 production of Graeme Murphy’s Nutcracker - The Story of Clara.

“Memorable performances for me during my time at the School have been performing in Margaret Wilson’s Journey in 2019, I loved the process of constructing this repertoire together. Then, Simon Dow’s A Little Chaos in 2020 was a challenging role requiring much stamina but was an exhilarating piece to create a connection with the audience. And finally, being cast as the principal role of ‘Jack’ in Lucas Jervis Butterfly in my graduating year of 2021 was a touching and demanding role to perform. Butterfly will hold such a special memory in my heart”.