Diane Briscoe (pictured), a senior dance student from The Dance Workshop, recently participated in the Barbara Geoghegan Awards at the Lylian Baylis Studio, Sadlers Wells Theatre, London.

The annual competition attracts dance students training at vocational level in the Cecchetti Method. Entrants come from most of the top vocational dance schools; this year’s entrants included students from Elmhurst School for Dance, the Hammond School, English National Ballet School, Tring Park School for the Performing Arts, Art Educational School and Kate Simmons Dance.

This year was the first time the awards were open Europe-wide. Maltese and Italian dancers competed with dance students studying in the UK. A total of 44 competitors showed off their dance technique and artistic quality on the night.

The adjudicator was Jonathon Cope, ex-principal dancer with the Royal Ballet. The participants performed class work given by Jessica Clarke (ex-soloist with Birmingham Royal Ballet and now teaching at the Royal Ballet lower school) and a solo variation of their own choice. Briscoe, who was coached by Theresa Lungaro-Mifsud, presented the Fairy of the Golden Vine solo from the prelude of The Sleeping Beauty.

The winner of the competition was 20-year-old Takeshi Watanabe studying at Elmhurst School for Dance who confidently performed the Blue Boy Solo from Les Patinuers.