Teachers

• Girls and boys are welcome to enter the Awards.
• Children must be a pupil of a Cecchetti teacher in the South East of England. The South East is defined as the counties of London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex.
• Dancers must have been studying with this teacher for one year prior to the competition taking place.

Age restrictions

Juniors are 7 and 8 years old on the day of the competition

Lower Middles are 9 and 10 years old on the day of the competition

Upper Middles are 11 to 13 years old on the day of the competition

Seniors are 14 to 16 years old on the day of the competition

Achievement restrictions

The Junior section is un-restricted by achievement. To compete as a Lower Middle children cannot have passed Grade 4, for the Upper Middle section they cannot have passed Grade 6, and the Seniors cannot have already passed Inter-Foundation or Intermediate.

Additional restrictions

Children who attend an Associates or Scholars scheme, any child who entered the Mabel Ryan Awards the previous Autumn and anyone at vocation school, is not permitted to enter the Southern Area Awards. This is to keep this competition an event for recreational ballet dancers.

Junior section – children aged 7 and 8 years old and likely to be at Standard 1 level.

Lower Middle section – children aged 9 and 10 years old. They are likely to be working at Standard 2 level and cannot have passed Grade 4.

Upper Middle section – children aged 11 to 13 years old. They are likely to be working at Standard 3 or 4 level and cannot have passed Grade 6.

Section section – children aged 14 to 16 years old. They are likely to be working at Standard 5 or 6 level and cannot have passed Inter-Foundation or Intermediate.

*Please double check the date of birth bands for each section before preparing and entering your students.

We want this competition to be as accessible as possible for as many Cecchetti students in the South East area. We are a not-for-profit organisation, and all money raised through the purchase of the set work packs, the entry fees and additional money taken on the day, will be used to hold the Awards the following year.

Junior section £22

Lower Middle section £24

Upper Middle section £26

Senior section £26

Click here to access the Entry page.

This is defined as the counties of London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex.

The work and dances for each section have been set with the age and likely achievement level of the children in mind. This competition is aimed at the once a week recreational ballet dancer, who would like the opportunity to perform on stage in a competition setting. The tone of the event is friendly, inclusive and encouraging to young Cecchetti dancers.

The set work will be published during the September preceding the Awards in the Spring. Teachers can order the set work and sample music here. The cost is £5 per section for the set work packs, or £15 for all four sections.

Dancers must wear plain tank-style leotards without any embellishment. They should be a different colour to their ballet school uniform and not black. Seniors are permitted to wear camisole-style leotards. If a belt is worn it must be the same colour as the leotard.

Juniors should wear flesh-toned socks and ballet shoes. All other sections can choose flesh-toned socks or tights and ballet shoes.

Competitors should wear their hair in a bun, or if their hair is not long enough, an alternative neat style for ballet. Where possible fringes should be secured back. A plain 1/4 inch ribbon, in the same colour as the leotard, can be worn to decorate the bun.

No jewellery, hair adornments make up or nail varnish can be worn. Backstage helpers will ask competitors to remove any items that infringe these rules.

Boys in the Junior section should wear a white leotard or tucked in vest, ballet shorts and ballet socks. In the other sections boys can wear a white leotard or tucked in vest ballet shorts or tights in black or navy blue.

The competition on Sunday 6th April 2025 will be held in the Studio at The Hawth Theatre, Hawth Avenue, Crawley, RH10 6YZ.

There is a large, free car park in front of the theatre.

If you wish to travel by train, Three Bridges station is a short walk away and there are usually taxis available.

Please note that no teachers are allowed backstage at the competition.

All competitors will receive a certificate of participation to recognise their commitment to enter the competition. We hope the experience of dancing on stage with their peers and performing to their families creates a positive experience for every child. We hope you enjoy the experience of teaching the set work and dances to your pupils and that you can accommodate the Awards in your schedule each year.

A senior member of the Cecchetti community will be invited to adjudicate the Awards. He or she will select a winner and a runner-up for each section. We also have a Joy of Dance award, which is given to the competitor who demonstrates the set work with a real sense of enjoyment and performance. Winners of each section will receive a medal which can be kept, and a shield which should be returned prior to the following year’s competition. For the Joy of Dance a statue, cup and shield are awarded, which can be kept for a year by the winner and returned prior to the following year’s competition.