Telstra Ballet Dancer Award Nominees Announced

Telstra and The Australian Ballet have revealed the six talented young dancers selected as nominees for this year's prestigious Telstra Ballet Dancer Awards.

Winners of the award will be chosen by a panel of judges from The Australian Ballet, Telstra and the arts and announced at Sydney Opera House on 6 April 2021 on opening night of New York Dialects, The Australian Ballet's much-anticipated first Sydney season in over a year and first season commissioned by the company's new Artistic Director David Hallberg.

The six dancers nominated for the Telstra Ballet Dancer Awards (TBDA) include: Soloist Nathan Brook; Soloist Imogen Chapman; Coryphée Jasmin Durham; Corps de Ballet Dancer Serena Graham; Coryphée Corey Herbert and Corps de Ballet Dancer Cameron Holmes. The nominees were selected by the artistic team, the company's dancers, and past winners. A nomination is a huge honour for these dancers as it recognises their hard work and potential as determined by their peers.

The Telstra Ballet Dancer Awards incorporates two separate awards: The Telstra Rising Star Award, which will be chosen by a panel of judges and includes a $25,000 prize for the winner; The Telstra People's Choice Award, which will be chosen by a public online vote and includes a $15,000 prize for the winner. This year will see an increase in total prize money from $25,000 to $40,000, thanks to the long-standing support of Telstra and their ongoing commitment to help young artists to thrive.

The partnership between Telstra and The Australian Ballet has helped to celebrate ballet talent for nearly two decades. TBDA is one of the longest running arts awards in the country. Now in its eighteenth year, the awards are the most prestigious prize in Australian ballet today. TBDA has been a career highlight for some of Australian ballet's biggest stars. It has traditionally been a great way to spot dancers earmarked for more leading roles: as many as seven former winners have progressed to become Principal Artists of The Australian Ballet.

Genelle Sharples, Principal, Media, Sponsorships and Awards for Telstra, said: "We are delighted to increase our support for this dedicated group of young stars of The Australian Ballet, as part of our commitment to helping the arts to thrive, especially after such a challenging 12 months. In particular, this year we wanted to showcase the joy these artists bring to dance, both on stage and off; and share the joy with all Australians. We commend them for their commitment, dedication and sheer determination to strive for excellence."

David Hallberg, Artistic Director of The Australian Ballet, said: "To receive this recognition when you're an upcoming dancer is so immensely valuable, and it gives all Australians the chance to learn more about the incredibly talented and inspiring dancers we have here at The Australian Ballet. It's a chance for our audience to celebrate our rising stars and to cheer them on as they continue to forge their flourishing ballet careers. We are deeply grateful to Telstra for the long-standing support, The Telstra Ballet Dancer Awards have such an important, distinguished place within our company and I very much look forward to seeing Australians get behind each of these deserving artists."

The six finalists are the nominees of the 2020 Telstra Ballet Dancer Awards, being announced in 2021. The dancers are featured in a series of videos, which encourage the public to vote for their favourite dancer and celebrate the joy of dance with all Australians. To vote in TBDA People's Choice Awards, visit www.telstra.com/ballet or via 0484 BALLET. Voting closes 21 March 2021.

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