TPD Student Meg received an outstanding 99.3 for her ATAR. Below she has answered questions that give an insight into the day to day juggle of managing school work & vocational ballet training.
How do you apply yourself in ballet classes? Is this the same at school?
I try to take on every correction the best I can in ballet classes. Obviously, there is a lot to think about, and it can be very difficult and sometimes frustrating to think about all the different corrections for each exercise or step, but the outcome is worth it. It's the same with school, especially with assignments, you take on the feedback from your teachers in order to achieve a better mark or refine the work. Corrections and feedback should be viewed as positive devices, utilized for self-improvement.
How much extra time do you practice ballet?
When I was younger, I used to practice much more than I do now. On afternoons that I didn't have ballet, I would often practice for a few hours, just at my small studio space at home working on the syllabus that I was currently learning, alongside exercises for strengthening my basic technique and also competition dances. In these last years, I tried to come earlier and practice when there were studios available, or sometimes on Sundays depending on homework. However it was difficult to fit in much extra practice, so it was important that I used the class time well.
What SACE score did you achieve?
I achieved an A grade for all of my Stage 2 subjects, with a raw ATAR of 97 and with the inclusion of bonus points, an ATAR of 99.3
Do you try your best in everything you do?
I definitely try to try my best in everything I do. I would much rather this than not putting enough effort and ending up regretting it.
What subjects did you choose in year 11 & 12? Why did you choose those subjects?
The subjects that I chose in year 11 were Specialist Math, Maths Methods, Chemistry, Biology, English Literary Studies, and Research Project. In year 12, I only did four subjects which were Maths Methods, Chemistry, Biology, and English Literary Studies. I chose these subjects because I was passionate about them, particularly the science subjects but also for the challenge and how they would better equip me for other areas of life.
What was your favourite subject?
My favourite subject was Biology.
Do you like studying?
I used to not enjoy studying, but when I got to choose my subjects, studying became much less tedious and turned into something that I genuinely liked. I think the key is to just choose subjects that you really enjoy, whatever that may be if you enjoy it, then you will feel more inclined to complete the assignments or study for the tests.
How did you learn to do those wonderful pirouettes and turns?
Pirouettes have always been my favourite, so it's something that I always want to practice. I work on lots of the basics of pirouettes, like practicing holding retiré and balancing on demi-pointe. When my pirouettes are going wrong, I like to start from a quarter turn and work up from there to a half-turn, then a full turn, and then as many pirouettes as I can. I think a lot of it has to do with the position and coordination of the turn, especially with fouettés. There are also little tricks that you just learn from repetition.
Do you ever feel overwhelmed?
Yes, I have felt overwhelmed a lot, especially when I was skating, dancing, and doing year 11. There was always so much to do and so little time to do it.
For a long time you were ice skating, dancing, and going to school- how did you manage that?
It was really stressful, especially as the workload from school increased. It was exhausting going skating in the morning, then going to school, back to skating, and then finally ballet which usually finished at 9 pm. This meant that there wasn't a lot of time that I could waste procrastinating or doing other activities, and I really had to manage my time well. I often finished off assignments during breaks at school or study lines, and in year 11 made sure to prioritize Stage 2 subjects like Research Project. I also learned what study habits worked best for me and my type of learning, which enabled me to stay focused and get everything done.
You went to New York for the YAGP - what was that experience like and what did you learn?
I got to meet dancers and make friends with people from all around the world, which was amazing. I also got to take classes from different people and attend rehearsals for the gala performance which took place in the Lincoln Centre. Rehearsals were probably my favourite part, they were often at different venues and I got to dance in the Alvin Ailey studios at one point. This was also where I made most of my friends, and since we were only in the pre-competitive section of the competition which was the lowest level, there weren't many parts for us, so most of the time we just got to talk and show off how many pirouettes we could do or other little tricks. It was also really inspiring to watch professional dancers who performed in the gala and the older dancers who performed in the finals.
You were selected as a finalist for the RAD Bursary, what was that experience like? What did you learn?
This was a really fun experience, getting flown out to Canberra to compete with the other finalists from each state. Everyone was really talented and friendly and it was just a really uplifting environment to be in. We had rehearsals in the morning, an open class on stage, and then performed our two variations. I really enjoyed performing my second variation, which I choreographed. It just felt rewarding to be able to show something I created myself.
How did you cope with disappointing results at competitions and awards? (particularly those when the results were clearly incorrect )
I just knew that I had worked my hardest and performed the best I could. Even though it was disappointing to see all that hard work not produce any results in a certain competition, I know that I still benefited from the experience and that it allowed me to grow in some way.
Did you ever feel like quitting?
I have felt like quitting many times, especially as I got older and I juggled with prioritizing different things. Even last year during the time where we were filming audition videos, I felt very unmotivated and felt like dance was something I no longer wanted to do.
Do you watch much ballet/dance?
I'd say that I watch a lot of ballet and dance when I get the chance to. I really enjoy watching the Royal Ballet rehearsals and NDT pieces, which are very inspiring. Sometimes I like to learn the repertoire from whatever inspires me, particularly for contemporary choreography.
Who are your favourite dancers, choreographers, companies?
Favourite ballet dancers: Yasmine Naghdi, Natalia Osipova, and Daniil Simkin.
Favourite contemporary dancers: Tess Voelker, Roger Van der Poel, and Chloe Albaret.
Favourite choreographers: Juliano Nunes, Sol Leon, and Paul Lightfoot, and Jiří Kylián.
Favourite company's: Nederlands Dans Theatre, The Royal Ballet, and the Mariinsky Ballet.
Do you like listening to music? what music/ - favourite composers?
I do like listening to music, my dad likes to say that I must have been born in the wrong generation. I love my 90s Britpop and Fleetwood Mac. But in terms of classical music, my favourite composer is Max Richter, and some others I like are Franz Schubert, Frederic Chopin, and Ryuichi Sakamoto.
Do you compare yourself to others?
I do compare myself to others, it's hard not to, but I try my best to observe the things that others are doing better and use that to further push myself to improve my technique and performance.