We were thrilled to run our second FSP Webinar focusing on Dance Auditions- a guide to dance auditions before, during and after on 13 June 2019. Lisa Pavane (Director) and Simon Dow (Artistic Teacher & Resident Choreographer) led the discussion which included an interactive session on mock auditions with some our Level 8 students.

Philippa Ziegenhardt (School Counsellor) provided expert advice on the psychological side of managing the mind and body in and around the audition process and its aftermath. We were incredibly fortunate to have Noah Dunlop, a 2017 ABS alumni, join our panel for the Q&A session. Noah is a Company Apprentice with Queensland Ballet and the advice and stories he shared of his experiences were invaluable.

Thank you to the ABS community who attended the webinar and took the time to provide such wonderfully positive feedback. The responses convey the value of insights and guidance from our esteemed panel:

• “I found it interesting to hear what is involved in the senior years at ABS and about the auditioning process. I love the way the school obviously helps students prepare really well for this stage of their learning and career.”
• “Hearing from the former student - Noah. Also great knowing that the ballet school is investing in getting the students ready for post-graduation.”
• “A wonderful webinar. I thought the real life stories of Noah, Simon & Philippa provided a great insight into the audition process. Thank you.”

We have commenced planning our third webinar. In Term Three we are excited to cover the topic of conditioning the mind and body.

We are very pleased to have completed our first social media initiative during Term Two: our Level 8 Graduates were profiled on both our Instagram and Facebook platforms.  We hope you enjoyed meeting them and we look forward to hearing more from them later in the year. Thank you to the Level 8 students, Marijke Franken and the ABS Marketing department for helping to make this happen.

Finally, we are delighted to announce that Cathy Stashak, Canada’s National Ballet School FSP Co-chair, will be our guest in mid-September.  Cathy commenced the equivalent family support program at the NBS over 10 years ago and we look forward to introducing her to our ABS parent community and to learn from her experiences. We are hoping to organise a meet and greet event for parents around Melbourne Showcase and when Cathy is here. Stay tuned for updates!

Please feel free to drop us line with suggestions/comments/questions fsp@australianballetschool.com.au