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Rising Warkworth dance star Brooke McMahon has been chosen for three of the most elite ballet programmes for her age group in New Zealand and Australia next year.
The 13-year-old Mahurangi College student had already retained her place in the New Zealand School of Dance Scholars Programme before successfully auditioning for the school’s prestigious Associates Programme, in partnership with the Royal New Zealand Ballet.
She was then also offered a place on the Australian Ballet School’s Invitee Programme, which is only open to a few select students at the discretion of the school’s director, and usually only to those aged 14 or 15.
As if that weren’t enough, McMahon was also awarded three international scholarships at the YAGP international ballet competition in Sydney last month, to the International Summer Nervi Festival in Italy next year and the Alberta Ballet School in Canada.
Her mum Louise says of these latest awards and other recent achievements, it’s the Australian invitee programme and the Italian scholarship that are the biggest thrill for Brooke, “especially the Nervi festival, that’s a big one”.
“We never dreamed she’d be an invitee,” she says. “She’ll have a week in Melbourne in April and we’ll go for an intensive week with a few other invitees and full-time students, plus another two or three times.”
The logistics of getting Brooke to her various ballet programmes and scholarships is mind-boggling, even before factoring in training most days at Talbot Dance Academy and the small matter of school.
“There are eight trips to Wellington for scholars, and another five or six weekends with the associates, so 13 or 14 trips either overnight or for the weekend, plus Australia and the international scholarships.
It’s quite overwhelming,” Louise says.
“She does miss some school, but Mahurangi College, and Warkworth School before that, has been incredibly supportive in giving her the time that she needs, I think because she is achieving things.”
Brooke’s parents are keen to ensure that dance doesn’t completely take over her life, however, and actively encourage other interests, as well as time out to chill.
“She plays touch and she rides motorbikes with her dad, she’s got a Yamaha trail bike. They go to BermBusters in Taupo for two days of motorbiking and no dance chat.”
At this stage, Brooke hopes to pursue a career in dance one day, but is keeping an open mind as to how exactly she’ll get there and what she’ll end up doing.
“For now, she just wants to keep enjoying it,” Louise says.
