A YOUNG Scottish dancer is flying to Brazil next week to compete in a prestigious ballet competition.
Eighteen-year-old Heather Lyon from Edinburgh will be taking part in the Margot Fonteyn International Ballet Competition which takes place in São Paulo from October 11-19.
She is hoping to follow in the dance steps of Crieff’s Antonia Cramb, who pirouetted into a place at Scottish Ballet after winning the gold medal at the competition last year while still a student at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. It is the first time a student has been given a professional contract at Scottish Ballet.
Other Scottish candidates and Royal Conservatoire of Scotland students who took part last year included Nicolas Pereira da Silva, who joined Cramb in the Fonteyn final and second-year students Selene Guasti and Isla MacLeod, who reached the semi-finals.
Named in honour of Dame Margot Fonteyn DBE, the longest-serving president of the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD), The Fonteyn is one of the oldest and most prestigious ballet competitions in the world, representing the pinnacle of achievement for young dancers trained in the RAD syllabus.
Lyon said competing at The Fonteyn in Brazil this year is “a dream come true”.
“I am so excited about taking part in this competition and representing my home country of Scotland,” she said. “I never imagined that I’d get an opportunity to compete at The Fonteyn and be surrounded by so much talent and passion.”
Lyon began dancing at the age of three in Edinburgh and took ballet classes at schools in the city including KS Dance Academy. She said it was her dance training in Edinburgh that enabled her to win a place at the prestigious Northern Ballet School, where she is currently studying.
“I hope to make my family and my country proud next week,” she said.
“It’s not just about winning – it’s about sharing a piece of who I am through dance. This experience will be something I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.”
Beginning in 1931, The Fonteyn has toured the globe and is dedicated to promoting dance, providing educational experiences and recognising excellence in young ballet dancers internationally.
A launch pad for a professional career, past winners have become professional dancers with companies worldwide and enjoyed long-lasting careers in the arts.
Alongside the prizes, competitors at the Fontyn have the chance to be awarded scholarships to some of the most prestigious ballet schools across the globe including Houston Ballet Academy and The Royal Ballet School.
