DANCE prodigy Taylah Gela won two dance scholarships at the recent Brisbane Performing Arts Challenge (BPAC), one of which is based in Melbourne for two years.
Taylah dances for the Beerwah Dance Company, and has been dancing since she was around four-years-old, and loves how supportive the art is.
“I love going to competitions and just being in that competitive atmosphere, where its really fun amongst everyone and then going on stage,” she said.
“It’s really fun to be on stage because in the happy dances its fun to be different characters and styles, and even in the sad dances it can be really emotional and I really enjoy it.”
Gela won the one-week Immersion Course with the Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Sydney, and the Jason Coleman’s Ministry of Dance two-year full-time scholarship.
Jason Coleman launched his self titled two year scholarship in 2008, which is now the largest dance facility in the world, and Jason is known for choreographing the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Only four dancers won the scholarship during this year’s BPAC.
The 15-year-old hasn’t started either scholarships yet, but she reflected on when she won both, with the two-year scholarship only being awarded to four dancers at BPAC.
“I was really shocked, I was not expecting to do that but everyone was really excited when it was announced on stage that I had won both,” she said.
Leading into the Jazz and Lyrical performances at BPAC, she also took part in an hour workshop which she said she learnt alot from.
“We learnt about technique and combos and just learning different advice and tips from him, and how to improve my dance,” she said.
“What stuck with me the most was to just be confident and if you want to get something you have to want to get it, if you really want something you have to put yourself through that.”
