Celebrating exam results

PUPILS at Buckingham Dance Studios in Paignton are celebrating outstanding exam results.

Some 70 per cent obtained distinction with honours and the highest mark was awarded to Billy Scott with 98 for his intermediate modern exam.

Billy has been offered a full scholarship to Ting Theatre Arts Educational and passed his intermediate RAD ballet with distinction.

Other pupils successfully going on to full time training are Georgia O'Reilly who has been offered a place at London Studio Centre having finished her year winning the senior ballet championships at Plymouth Festival in July and Alicia Sandercock who has been offered a place at Hammond Ballet Academy.

Tutor Pollyanna Buckingham said: "Alicia obtained an amazing distinction for her advanced RAD ballet exam with 85 marks as she embarked on an intensive course to learn the syllabus in just ten weeks.

"She is the youngest student at BDS to ever take this exam at the age of just 14.

"Isabella Furness also gained a high distinction of 83 marks for her advanced foundation RAD ballet exam.

"Both Isabella and Alicia successfully auditioned for the Royal Ballet Summer School this year and are senior associates at RBS attending classes every Saturday at The Royal Ballet School in London.

"Isabella also obtained distinction with 91 marks for her intermediate modern exam, and was the only pupil to gain a clear 10 out of 10 for her jazz amalgamation.

"Two other pupils, Emily Russell and Bradley Howell, have also been accepted onto the Royal Ballet outreach programme as junior associates, and Brad was awarded most promising young dancer at BDS this year."

Other outstanding results for modern came from Meg Parker, distinction with 95 for intermediate modern and distinction with 75 marks for her RAD advanced foundation ballet, Olivia Pearce distinction with 94 intermediate modern and distinction with 76 marks for her advanced foundation RAD ballet, Nick Woodmore distinction with 93 marks intermediate foundation modern, Chelsea Munday distnction with 91 marks intermediate modern, Lucy Samuals distinction with 91 marks grade five modern, Suni Scott distinction with 90 marks grade five modern, Katie French distinction with 90 marks grade two RAD ballet.

Other pupils who gained distinction for their RAD ballet exams were:

Taini Dinstone, 75 marks primary, Clara Chamberlain, 86 marks grade one, Elloise Rowland-Jenkinson, 77 marks grade one, Millie Feesey, 76 marks grade one, Joe Parker, 77 marks grade two, Emily Russell, 87 marks grade three, Maia Dunstone, 83 marks grade three, Thea Chamberlain, 86 marks grade three, Eleanor Collings, 84 marks grade four, Mahala Prince-Jones, 75 marks grade four, Suni Scott, 82 marks grade five, Imogen Jones, 76 marks grade six and Tara-Mae Kearns, 75 marks grade six.

Pupils gaining high merits for their RAD ballet examinations were Amelia Mathews, Imogen Soley, Sophie Hurford, Raphaela Donaghue, Bradley Howell, Jamie Watson, Katie Parker, Elizabeth Witchell, Martha Hedges, Amy Murphy, Evie Dugmore, Grace Connell, Gragie Jai-Martin, Nina Keen and Tansy Hulstone.

Other successful candidates were Genna Sherlow, Gemima Price, Lily Edwards, Maddison Aldridge, Eleanor Millre, Emily Procter, Graham Maule, Shana Howell, Verity Soley, Charlotte Slade and Kezia Stanley.

The youngest pupils, at five years old, who entered the Royal Academy of Dance Class Award were Alissa Crewes, Amara Impey, Amelia Agget, Beau Forbes, Bridget Stanley, Carys Rowland-Jenkinson, Daisy Snook, Madeleine Brugg, Phoebe Smith and Tallulah Keen.

Pollyanna added: "The children have really enjoyed taking their exams this year.

"We had some wonderful examiners visit from London, and all the children came out smiling.

"It gives them not only a sense of achievement but a feeling of discipline for the occasion, their parents should all be very proud of them. I would also like to thank my teaching staff for all their hard work"

Other major results of high merit for RAD ballet were Georgie Hare, advanced foundation, Shannon Oates, intermediate foundation, Melissa Watson, intermediate foundation, Imogen Jones, intermediate foundation, Charlotte Russell, intermediate foundation, Zehara Prince- Jones, intermediate.

Major modern high merit were Shannon Oates, Letitia Lane, intermediate foundation, Emma Singleton, advanced one, and Elizabeth Thorpe, advanced two.

The modern, jazz and tap grades were equally as successful as the major.

Results:

Alysha Prowse, distinction intermediate foundation modern, Amber Bassett and Darcy Hooper, distinction for grade six modern, Suni Scott, distinction silver jazz, Melissa Watson, Thae Chamberlain, Eleanor Collings, Mahala Prince-Jones, Elizabeth Witchell, Emily Russell, and Maia Dunstone, all distinction for bronze jazz and grade four modern.

Katie Parker and Chloe Collins, distinction for grade three modern, Joe Parker, Katie French and Clara Chamberlain, distinction for grade two modern, Millie Feesey, distinction for grade one modern and Tiani Dunstone, Grace Connell, Kesia Stanley and Carys Rowland-Jenkinson, all distinction for their primary modern.

High merits in modern: Jemima Price and Lily Edwards, grade one, Esme Rowe, grade two, Graham Maule, grade three, Terri-Kate Lee, grade four, Melissa Watson, Phoebe Bowers, Chloe Reynolds and Amy Murphy, grade five, Alysha Goodman and Imogen Jones, grade six modern and silver jazz.

BBO tap results were distinctions in grades for Sophie Hurford, Clara Chamberlain, Katie French, Joe Parker, Emily Russell, Thea Chamberlain, Maia Dunstone, Eleanor Collings, Terri-Kate Lee and Mahala Prince-Jones.

High merits: Esme Rowe, Elizabeth Witchell, Nick Woodmore and Shannon Reynolds.

The school is now working hard towards its latest show be held at the Princess Theatre, Torquay, on December 8.