Ballet Prize Rewards Life Passion

The Age

Thursday November 27, 2008

EMILY DUNN

IT WAS a lead role in a musical theatre production of Pinocchio that catapulted a young Kevin Jackson onto the stage and into a lifelong passion for dance.

Last night that passion, and almost two decades of hard work, was rewarded when the 24-year-old from Perth won the 2008 Telstra Ballet Dancer Award. It was a case of second time lucky for Jackson, who was nominated in 2006 for the award, the highest accolade of its kind for young ballet dancers.

His $20,000 prize cheque was presented by Sarah Murdoch, former aspiring ballerina and board member of the Australian Ballet.

After his first dance lessons at seven, Jackson undertook a year of classical training in 1999 before joining the Australian Ballet School and then, in 2003, the Australian Ballet.

The $5000 People's Choice Award went to Amy Harris from Ararat, named the most popular of the six nominated dancers for 2008 from a record 72,000 public votes. -- EMILY DUNN

© 2008 The Age

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