A GIRL from The Patch has been given the chance of a lifetime after being accepted into the Australian Conservatoire of Ballet in Richmond.
Kala Rose, a 12-year-old from The Patch, has practiced ballet for about nine years, starting shortly before her fourth birthday, and auditioned for the Conservatoire in October.
The Conservatoire, which was founded by renowned ballet dancer Christine Walsh in 1991, focuses on strong professional ballet training with Russian-influenced styles of dance.
Kala recently found out that she had been accepted into the Conservatoire, and her mother Lea said that the acceptance is a fantastic opportunity.
“She’s so excited,” Mrs Rose said.
“It’s really hard work, but she’s going to be trained by some of the best ballet teachers in Australia.”
Mrs Rose said that at the age of four, Kala was determined to start practicing ballet.
“She kept pestering me, so I took her to a class,” she said.
“Within six weeks, the teacher asked if she could train her.”
The Conservatoire is located in Collingwood and as a result of Kala’s acceptance, her family is moving closer to the city to accommodate.
“We’re going to take it year-by-year, to see how she goes,” Mrs Rose said.
“This is the beginning, if she wants to have a career.”
Mrs Rose said that she’s happy about the move for Kala, but a rigorous schedule and training can have its pitfalls on someone so young.
“Leaving a school, a town and friends behind, you do have to give up a lot,” she said.
“There’s excitement, but there’s also a loss.
“Children who train like this, they have a busy life and you have to have that passion to do it professionally.”
Kala will attend the Australian Conservatoire of Ballet for 16 hours each week, along with her usual school workload, with the option of reducing her school-time the following year.
Mrs Rose stressed that The Patch Primary School, where Kala recently went to school, had been nothing but supportive throughout her training.
“It’s tricky to find a school that supports her ballet, and not one the other way around,” she said.
“She’s been supported by her teachers for the last few years, and we appreciate that.”
