By Jessica Micallef
Paloma Hendry-Hodsdon is taking her dance talents to Canada.
The Sunbury dancer will compete in the Genee International Ballet Competition 2019 in Toronto this month.
Paloma, 17, said she was looking forward to dancing at an elite level.
“It feels pretty unreal because it’s such an amazing competition,” she said.
“Not many people are chosen because you need to get a specific mark, so I really can’t believe it. It’s the 99th year … so it’s an old competition.”
Paloma is no stranger to the dancing scene, having started at age two. She has danced at the Australian Ballet and Queensland Ballet Academy.
Closer to home, she now dances at Shirley Rogers Academy of Dance in Sunbury.
Academy principal Shirley Rogers said Paloma was under a strict rehearsal schedule in the lead up the international competition.
“We are training six hours a day, but not Sunday,” she said. “But for the next two weeks, it will be seven days a week.”
Paloma said she hoped the competition would open doors for her on her way to becoming a professional dancer.
“Hopefully, it’ll open my career into the ballet world and into overseas dancing in a ballet company,” she said. “Overseas would be amazing to get the experience.
“When I go over there, I want to be the strongest I can be.”
The competition will be held between August 20 and 29.
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