Top boy a company man
By RUTH HILL - Stuff.co.nz | Monday, 01 December 2008ONE FOOT IN THE DOOR: Kyle Wood has already performed with the Royal New Zealand Ballet. After being named a top dance scholar, he has been invited to join the company.
A boy from "Brissie" is poised to join the Royal New Zealand Ballet after scoring New Zealand's top classical dance scholarship.
Kyle Wood, 20, who graduated yesterday from the New Zealand School of Dance, has been named the Todd Foundation Scholar for 2008.
The $25,000 award will support him in his first year with the Royal New Zealand Ballet.
"It's a dream come true," said Wood, who performed in the company's smash hit production of Romeo and Juliet this year and has rehearsed with them for next year's touring production, Red.
He said the phone call from artistic director Gary Harris inviting him to join the company was "a pretty intense moment".
"It's an amazing company and I feel incredibly honoured to have this opportunity."
The Brisbane dancer chose Wellington's three-year diploma course over several other schools because of its reputation as a great training ground for male dancers.
"It was my favourite audition ... I liked the kind of classes they had and I knew I would work hard."
Last year, he was also seconded to the West Australian Ballet in Perth for Simon Dow's critically acclaimed production of Alice.
He started dancing at the age of seven, following in the footsteps of his two sisters.His parents initially enrolled him in jazz and tap classes, thinking they were more "boyish".
"But when I saw ballet, I just fell in love with it," he said.
"It sounds cheesy, but that's how it was."
After a well-earned break, he is set to start work with the company on January 5 and is looking forward to a long career.
"Ballet is my life. I would be lost without it. I really don't know what I would do if I couldn't dance."
Previous winners of the scholarship, which has been awarded annually by the Todd Foundation since 2000, include Rebecca Tait-Wagner, Marysa Dalton, Will Pratt, Hana Tipa, Adriana Harper, Paul Mathews and Rosemary Martin.
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