Biography

Nicole, from Wester Hailes in Edinburgh, has been dancing since the age of two. In 1999, then aged 12, she was the only Scottish girl to win a place at the prestigious Royal Ballet School.

In 2005, while still a student, Nicole was picked to tour with the Royal Ballet to Japan, Malaysia and South Korea. The same year, she was one of two students selected to do a Summer School of Excellence in New York at the American Academy of Ballet.

In her final report, the Royal Ballet says of Nicole that, “She is equally capable in classical, contemporary and dramatic works and has also produced many impressive choreographic works herself.”

Nicole graduated from the Royal Ballet School in 2006 and is currently auditioning with the major ballet companies. Because female dancers are returning to dance after starting a family – able to retain their fitness and performance quality throughout – this means that new graduates are having to wait a bit longer to get a start in a ballet company.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award helped fund Nicole’s final two years at the Royal Ballet School, London.

Biography

Laura-Jane, from Ayrshire, has been studying ballet since the age of five.

She became a Junior Associate of the Scottish Ballet when she was 10, and later a Senior Associate. While a part-time dance student, Laura won a number of prestigious dance awards, including the John Marshall Senior Award, and reached the semi-finals of the Young Dancer of the Year in 2005, competing against dancers in full-time training.

In 2005 she also successfully auditioned for the Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham. At the end of her first year she won the prize for ‘Most Achieved’ student. Since her second year she has regularly been on tour with the Birmingham Royal Ballet.

How the Award Helped

Since the Award

After successfully graduating from Elmhurst Ballet School, Laura-Jane was offered a contract with Birmingham Royal Ballet where she is now a member of the company.

She writes, “I feel extremely fortunate to be in the position I am in and to have had so many wonderful opportunities offered to me along the way. Without doubt my Dewar Arts Award made so much of this possible for me and gave me the security of knowing that I could give all my time, effort and commitment to my chosen career without any financial worries.”

Mary Goodhew, Artistic Director of Birmingham Ballet, writes, “Throughout her time at Elmhurst Laura Jane. Gibson has been an exemplary student. She is a gifted dancer who is a credit to her family, the supporters and organisations that funded her and all her teachers. I am delighted to say that she is now a professional dancer who graduated from Elmhurst into the Birmingham Royal Ballet.”