The National Ballet Competition brought more than 200 dancers to downtown Wilmington last week.
Student dancers between 9 and 19 years old from across the country assembled at The Grand - along with their teachers and families.
The students performed for an international panel of nine dance professionals, representing national schools and ballet companies including the San Francisco Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and the Joffrey Ballet.
Delaware’s Kaelynne Moore studies at First National Ballet. She won the Senior Category’s Silver Medal and was named Best Contemporary and Most Inspirational Performer.
Moore says that ballet is famously tough, and a competition can be even more overwhelming, but the discipline of training makes the difference.
"On Saturday when I was getting ready to compete in my solos, I took time to relax and listen to my music, and I think that helps me, because it grounds me, while preparing for going out and competing."
Keira Green was a Gold Medalist in the Junior Category. The New Jersey native who studies at The School of Philadelphia Ballet relishes the regimen ballet requires.
"My teachers started teaching me discipline, and I just liked it even more because, it’s something that, instead of running around and playing, which I also like doing, it also gave me a sense of responsibility, which I always liked as a kid….yeah."
The competition awarded $275,000 in scholarships last weekend - the most it has ever awarded.
Since its inception, The National Ballet Competition has handed out over $650,000 in scholarships to top summer ballet training programs.
Delaware Public Media's arts coverage is made possible, in part, by support from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
