13 May Halfway across the world to dance the dream – Year 7 – Jasper

We pride ourselves on our warm welcoming attitude, even when that is perceived from afar. This is no truer than when talking about recent new student Jasper and his journey to joining the Moorland family.

Dancing from the age of 8, talented Australian dancer Jasper had been offered places at world renowned dance establishments. Alongside his mum he made the decision to reject these offers and take up a place at Moorland Ballet; the place where his dreams were to be realised.  Considering on-going world events, we wanted to take a closer look at Jasper’s journey to joining us from down under.

Back in December 2020, Jasper’s mum, Cara, was deep into searching for the next step on her son’s ballet dream. Moving into his first senior year, it was a critical step in his development and making the right choice was paramount. Having already auditioned successfully for multiple schools, Cara wasn’t fully satisfied she had found the right fit for Jasper.

It was at this point Cara was made aware of Moorland Ballet Academy via a simple Google recommendation. When asked why the choice was so easy, she said “Moorland just seemed to have a good balance of Ballet, academic and social components. I chose Moorland over the other schools we looked at because it has such a friendly feel, and obviously, the ballet programme is very good.”

Having successfully auditioned online, we have been very happy to welcome him into the fold at the academy. Moving alone halfway across the world would be daunting for most adults, never mind alone at 11 years old. Yet Jasper couldn’t be happier, his infectious enthusiastic character has allowed him to seamlessly slot into the day to day of academy life. When asked, Jasper said “I feel like I have settled in really well at Moorland. I enjoy being with my new friends and teachers, everyone is friendly and welcoming.”

Having plenty of experience with international students means that we are used to auditioning, introducing and accommodating children from all over the globe. Four months into his stay, Jasper has regular Zoom sessions back home and has even had the privilege to dance live in studio for his Mum, 9000 miles away in Australia. Although an emotional moment for all involved given current global climate; as part of the Moorland Family, we focus on ensuring these moments remain possible and are the same for both our international and day students.

After the studio performance, Jasper’s mum Cara, said “All my interactions with Mr and Mrs Kidd have been lovely. Jasper is improving so much and seems to have settled really well.”

It’s always a joy welcoming new talent into our academy, but the real pride lies in the seamless transition we are able to offer students of all ages; as much as our Ballet tuition is the core of our offering, it is critical that every student settles, is comfortable and most importantly feels an integral part of the greater family.