Tanya Pearson Classical Coaching Academy student, Vida Polakov is the 2015 winner of the Supreme B (16 – 21 years) section at the Alana Haines Awards in Wellington, New Zealand.
With over four hundred entrants, the prestigious ballet competition is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, with this year’s judges including Lisa Pavane - Director of the Australian Ballet School, Richard Bowman – American Ballet Theatre, as well as Christian Tatchev and Zenia Tatcheva who are both with the Queensland Ballet as Director of Training and Classical Coach respectfully.
Performing the Giselle variation coached by TPCCA Director Lucinda Dunn OAM and a contemporary choreographed by TPCCA graduate and former winner of Alana Haines, Shayarne Matheson, this win is particularly poignant for 16-year-old Vida as it is in her home country.
Last year, Vida was the recipient of the Royal Academy of Dance’s highest honour – the Gold Medal at the 2014 Genee International Ballet Competition in Belgium.
Following her win in New Zealand, Vida is currently travelling to the United States where she will compete in the New York Finals of the Youth America Grand Prix this week.