JUNE / JULY 2017 | WWW.DANCEAUSTRALIA.COM.AU
70 /CLASS
Tayla Minchinton
TAYLAMinchintonhasbeentappingmostofherlife.The15-year-oldNewcastle
dancerstarteddancingattheageofthreewithKellySloanandSloan’sDance
AcademyandhasalsotrainedwithtapluminariesSheldonPerry,RenaePerry,Ben
Read,GlennWoodandJackEgan.
ApartfromcompetinginAustraliancompetitionsandeisteddfods,Taylahasan
enviable record in her Glenn Wood Syllabus exams – achieving 98 per cent or
higherforallexamsuptoGoldAwardLevel,manywithascoreofonehundred
per cent!
Alongwithgoodfriendandfellowtapper,KylaBorghero,Taylacompetedinthe
2016WorldDanceCupinKoreaandthe2016InternationalDanceOrganisation’s
(IDO) World Dance Championships in Germany. She and Borghero were awarded
GoldfortheirduoperformanceandTaylatookawayanindividualSilverforher solo
inKorea.InGermanyshewonBronzeforhersoloandSilverforhertrio
performance, along with Borghero and Jacob Moulton.
Competingontheworldstagewithsomeofthebesttappersfromaroundthe
worldwasaveryproudmomentand“totakeawaysuchgreatresultswasamazing”,
saysKayla.“Thefeelingofprideonthepodium,andwatchingourAustralianflag
beingraisedformyhardworkwassimplythebestfeelingI’veeverhad”.
Kaylahasabusyyearahead.Sheisduetocompeteinthe2017Commonwealth
CupinSouthAfricaandintheIDOWorldDanceChampionshipsinGermany.
SheisproudofallthetalenttocomeoutofNewcastleovertheyearsandlooksupto
alloftheoriginalNewcastle“TapDogs”.
Hergoalisforasmanypodiumfinishesaspossible.Shewouldlovetohavea
career tap dancing in professional shows. In her spare time, Kayla loves the beach
and listening to music.Jessi Seymour
SYDNEYdancerJessiSeymour(16)wascuriousastoseehow
muchofheryoucouldseeintheDance Academymovie released in
Aprilthisyear.Sheparticipatedasafeatureddancerinthefilming
ofthemovieand,thoughshehadnotseenthefinalfilmatthetime
ofwriting,saystheexperiencewaswonderful.
ForJessi,astudentofHilaryKaplanandArchibaldMcKenzieat
AlegriaDanceStudios,participatinginthefilmwasjustoneofthe
highlightsofthelastfewyears.ShecompletedherAdvanced2Royal
AcademyofDance(RAD)andAdvanced1Cecchettiexamswith
outstandingresultsandwontheoverallprizeforthemost
outstandingdancerattheRADIsobelAndersonAwardsin2016.
JessiwonSilverattheCecchettiMedalAwardsaswellasSilverat
theLucieSaranovaMemorialAwardsin2016.InJulythatyear,she
took up a scholarship to attend summer school at the Canadian
NationalBalletSchool,herprizeforcompetingintheAlanaHaines
Competitionin2015.ShealsocompetedinthefinalsofthePrixde
LausanneinSwitzerlandinFebruaryandwasinvitedtocompetein
thefinalsoftheYouthAmericaGrandPrixthisyear.
In April, Jessi again competed in the Alana Haines Awards.
SheandwillalsocompeteintheSydneyEisteddfodin
SeptemberbeforepreparingforherSoloSealRADexamination.
ShewilltakeupashorttermscholarshipwiththeRoyalBallet
UpperSchoolinSeptember,awardedtoherbytheartistic
director, Christopher Powney.
JessisaysthetwodancerssheadmiresthemostareMarienela
NunezandLuciaLacarra.Shesaysherultimategoalistodancelead
roleswitharenownedcompany.Sheadmitsthatshelovesclassical
balletandcontemporarydanceequallyandwouldlovetobepartof
the creative process of a new neo-classical/contemporary ballet.
JessiSeymourisabouttotakeupa
scholarship with the Royal Ballet School.Tayla Minchinton:
proud Newcastle talent.PHOTO: GREGORY BATARDON