Queensland Ballet Academy students receive outstanding ATAR results

After a nerve-racking and likely sleepless night, the Australian Tertiary Admission Ranks (ATARs) were released to 27,245 students on Friday through the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre. Queensland Ballet Academy and Kelvin Grove State College students, Ashlee and James, were part of the cohort eagerly awaiting their results.

Both students were shocked when they initially saw the number appear on the screen. Ashlee and James received an ATAR of 99.30 and 91.30 respectively. “I was over the moon with excitement. It is so rewarding to see my hard work pay off,” Ashlee said. For James, he was shocked, surprised and relieved. “It has been an extraordinary few years for me; moving from Canberra, and settling into a new city, a new school and ballet academy. I am proud of what I have achieved”.

No small feat, Ashlee and James sit in the top 25 per cent of students awarded an ATAR of 90 or above, with the entire cohort’s median ATAR coming in at 79.20. But Ashlee and James aren’t like most school students who attend from 9am – 3pm, solely focusing on their academic studies. Instead, they split their day between professional dance training in the morning and school in the afternoon, with the hopes of creating a successful career in the dance industry. “I found dancing in the morning and studying in the afternoon to be an amazing way to split my day,” Ashlee said. “With ballet class starting at 8am, I was refreshed and able to give full attention to my training. We have a lunch break at around 1pm, where students can refuel and regain energy before starting school studies at 1:45pm. When I finished school classes at 4:45pm, my brain was already in “study mode” so I was able to return home and study during the evenings.”

The career of a professional dancer can be short, so receiving an education alongside their training was crucial to Ashlee and James setting themselves up for later in life “Ballet is my passion, but education is important to me to maximise my opportunities in the future. I will always want to be part of the ballet industry and hope my education will open other possibilities following my dance career. The partnership between Queensland Ballet Academy and Kelvin Grove State College meant that I was able to pursue my passion, without compromising my education,” Ashlee said. “My number one passion is ballet, but I know that this industry is a tough one and it is really important to have options for later in life,” James said.

So, how can other students achieve the same success? For Ashlee, “It is important to remain focused and driven throughout the entire year. But this should be balanced by taking breaks and celebrating the small achievements, whether that be completing an assignment or finishing a long day of study.” James suggested that “students plan their time well, factor in breaks and at times when they are too tired to study, stop and pick it up the next day.”

With incredible ATAR results, they plan on pocketing these scores to use later in their careers. “I am thrilled to have received a place in Queensland Ballet’s Pre-Professional program for 2023, so I will focus on my ballet and defer university studies. At some point I would like to study part-time whilst I am dancing, possibly a finance or economics related course!” Ashlee said. And for James, “The first thing I am going to do is enjoy a few weeks at home with my family in Canberra while keeping up my fitness. I am really excited to be in level 1 at the Academy next year and then audition for the QBA Pre-Professional Program in 2024. I might even consider some part-time study…”.

“I am incredibly grateful for the partnership between Queensland Ballet Academy and Kelvin Grove State College…This arrangement means that students are able to put 100% effort into dance or school throughout the year, without having to compromise either,” Ashlee said. “One of the things that appealed to me the most about Queensland Ballet Academy was being able to continue my dance training at a high-class facility and complete Year 12. There are very few places in the world where there are sufficient structures in place to be able to attend face-to-face school while completing full-time ballet training,” James said.

By Meg Collins