Three weeks of hard work and dedication during the National Dance Foundation of Bermuda's (NDFB) just-concluded summer intensive paid off for seven aspiring young dancers, whose merits were rewarded by Hollywood actress and sometime Bermuda resident Catherine Zeta-Jones in the form of eponymous scholarships to next year's NDFB summer intensive.

Although unable to present her awards in person, Miss Zeta-Jones sent word that she was with the recipients in spirit, and congratulated them on their success.

The winners, from Bermuda and the US, who ranged in age from nine to 16, were: Meredith Bibbings, Cydney Caesar, Fredrika Hill, Kelly Laughinghouse, Michelle Saunders, Kyle Scheurich, and Leah Smith.

They were chosen by the American Ballet Theater (ABT) instructors who conducted both the DanceBermuda and the Young Dancers Programme (YDP) classes.

Miss Bibbings, 15,was commended for her "ability to apply corrections, and her eagerness to improve in both classes and rehearsals, (which) translated beautifully into her performances".

Miss Caesar, 10, was lauded for her "artful approach to all of her classwork and choreography. She is resolutely focused on her training, and already seems to be planning for her future dancing years".

Miss Hill, 15, was cited for bringing "focus and intelligence'" to her dance work, and was described as "a delight to both her peers and teachers".

Miss Laughinghouse, 14, impressed the instructors with her "kindness, generosity of spirit, and strong work ethic", and was someone who had made "good technical strides during this programme".

Miss Saunders, 15, was deemed to have a "promising future in dance" thanks to her "natural line and physicality, and eager classwork"

Mr. Scheurich, 16, two-time winner of a Catherine Zeta-Jones scholarship, was praised for bringing "focus and intelligence to his dance work", and someone with whom both his peers and teachers "enjoy(ed) working".

Miss Smith, nine, earned her award for "consistently showing great commitment to achieving the highest technical standard".

"She is enthusiastic about all of her classes, and is pure joy to have as a student," the instructors said.

The scholarships were presented on Miss Zeta-Jones' behalf by W. Wayne Jackson, chairman of Montpelier Re Foundation, at the conclusion of the final workshop performance given by all of the students. Montpelier Re is an NDFB corporate supporter.

Prefacing the presentations, NDFB board member Cole Simons noted that DanceBermuda was the ABT's only overseas campus, and said "we should all be proud of the international attention Bermuda receives every year because of this prestigious programme".

Mr. Simons also paid tribute to the many individuals, organisations, and others whose invaluable contributions made "a world-class organisation like DanceBermuda possible".

In honour of Bermuda's 400th anniversary, the programme also featured Bermudian Courtney Lopes dancing 'Wally', a work choreographed for her by the world-renowned Jessica Lang. Miss Lopes, this year's winner of the Patricia Calnan Commemorative Scholarship, is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 0.3 dance and dance management in New York.

The annual DanceBermuda and Young Dancers Programme intensives are a collaboration between the NDFB and the ABT, with classes led by instructors from the latter.

For further information see website www.dancebermuda.org.