Jessicas Ballet Life: GALA

GALA

WE ARE IN THE GALA!!!!

What an honour to be selected to perform in the Gala! They have asked for our Contemporary, choreographed by Angela Revie. The feedback we have received about this contemporary has been amazing! We were told by the judges at the farewell party that we received the highest score out of the entire competition for the Contemporaries. Angela can be very proud of her work. I really enjoy dancing this piece because I love to tell the story behind it, I never thought I would ever enjoy dancing contemporary because I have hated it my whole life, but now in this dance I LOVE it!!!

After the Gala is when they would announce who the medal and special award winners would be. James and I danced 2nd last at the Gala. The amazing Russian couple were last and they performed La Esmerelda, well needless to say it was amazing!!!

There was a short interval before the awards ceremony. They them placed us in a specific order, I was placed next to the girl from Latvia (I met her at the Baltic Ballet Competition) last year in Latvia.

Well now the time had come... There were many speeches, first in Korean, then in English. They announced all the medal winners for the Juniors first. Then they came to the Seniors. There were 3 winners for the females Bronze, 3 male for the Bronze. Then they announced and the Senior Silver Medal goes to Annija Kopstale from Latvia and Jessica Overton from South Africa!!!!! Can you believe that I won the Silver Medal!!! I am still in a state of shock!

James was awarded a Diploma for being a finalist as well as a special award Artistic Expression! I could not say thank you enough to my amazing boyfriend, because this is and always will be a partnership and without one there will be no other. He partnered me just the way that I asked! Thank you to all of you that have helped us get here. I can't believe that I have achieved my dream by 1, going to an International Ballet Competition(3 times) and winning A SILVER MEDAL!!!! Thank you to everyone who has done their bit! James and I love you all!!!

James with our great new friends. Rinaldo Vennti (Italy) who won Junior Silver and has just been accepted into ABT 2, Miguel Pinheiro (Portugal) and also won Junior Silver and Seung Yong Lee (Korea) Senior Bronze

Myself and Miguel

Myself and Rang Kim (Korea) Senior Bronze

Myself and James with Konstantin Korotkov (Russia) Senior Male Gold, Olga Chelpanova (Russia) Senior Female Gold adn Annija Kopstale Senior Silver with myself.