Kayla Milligan, 7, of Redland Bay could earn a walk on role in Queensland Ballet's production of The Nutcracker at QPAC's Lyric Theatre in December. as one of six finalists in Suncorp Dream Big.
Now in its sixth year, the annual ballet competition, supported by Queensland Ballet's principal partner Suncorp, saw applicants aged five to 13 years from across regional and metropolitan Queensland perform an arabesque (ballet pose) in a scenic location that represented their district.
For Kayla, that pose was on the rocks at North Stradbroke Island.
In her description of the Redlands Kayla said it was "quite, nice and cosy".
"I chose this spot because it shows the beautiful bay where we saw dolphins leaping out of the water," she said.
Kayla's mother Louise said Kayla did two classes a week with Ashfield Ballet school and had been "ready for the Nutcracker" since seeing it at age five.
"We got her to do ballet because she was really shy but she was good at dancing. We wanted her to have something she was good at and we have watched her blossom. She has charisma about her and is a very cheeky, but kind little girl," Ms Milligan said.
Kayla said dancing made her feel confident.
"I can go on stage and remember my ballet dance and show my family. I love my dancing friends because they are nice to me. My teacher is kind and shows me how I can do better," Kayla said.
Suncorp Executive General Manager Brand and Marketing Mim Haysom said she was impressed by the level of talent shown by the applicants.
"Every year we see an incredible amount of creativity and passion for ballet in these entries. The program is a great way to make the arts more accessible to children and their families throughout Queensland, regardless of where they live," Ms Haysom said.
Dancers uploaded photos of their ballet pose and wrote 50 words about what makes their location special.
QB artistic director Li Cunxin judged the technical proficiency of the pose in naming the finalists and will make the final decision after meeting them on November 22 where they will be able to watch a rehearsal at the studio.
"This initiative is such a great opportunity for Queensland Ballet and Suncorp to inspire together the next generation of young dancers. The response this year was fantastic," Mr Li said.
"It's a rare chance for the dancers to go behind the scenes and experience the life of a professional ballet dancer, which we know will be a magical experience for them. And we love seeing Queenslanders rise to the challenge, not just in our cities, but in rural and regional areas. It's wonderful to be able to collaborate with Suncorp to gift them this incredible opportunity."
The major prize winner will be announced on November 29 and will perform with the company on December 15.
