Calrossy's Lachlan takes a graceful step towards the spotlight

BALLET dancer Lachlan Martin has just received the opportunity of a lifetime, bringing him closer to achieving his dream of becoming a principal dancer with the Australian Ballet.

The Calrossy Anglican School Year 7 student has just been offered a position in the highly sought after full-time training program with the Australian Ballet School in Melbourne, where he will study in conjunction with his high-school studies, until he is 18-years-old.

He will then hopefully, go onto dance with The Australian Ballet.

Students who are offered a position at the school are generally in Year 8 making Lachlan one of the youngest to be accepted.

“I was quite shocked when I received the offer because they usually only take kids in Year 8 going onto Year 9. They always said, you would have to be exceptional to get through in Year 7,” he said.

And exceptional he is, especially for someone who has only been dancing for three years.

Lachlan said he was invited to the Australian Ballet School’s national audition finals in Melbourne about two weeks ago, where he had to perform against 50 other dancers.

A week after the auditions, he was contacted and offered a position at the school.

He credits his parents, Darryl and Michelle, for their love and support and his ballet teacher Melanie Murphy - who danced with The Australian Ballet for 15 years – who has fine-tuned his skills and talent.

The Tamworth-born dance teacher has recently opened a new studio in Armidale  – The New England Ballet School – and Lachlan’s parents have been making the hour-long trek, three-times-a-week for almost five months now, something that’s certainly paid off for Lachlan.

“We introduced him to dancing three years ago because he has always had a lot of musicality and rhythm,” Mrs Martin said.

“When he started dancing he began with jazz and his then-teacher saw potential for him to do ballet. We then decided to take him to Melanie because he needed someone of that professional level to take him to the next level.”

Ms Murphy said as soon as she saw Lachlan dance, she noticed his potential.

“He came up here about four months ago and has been doing both private and class training with me. We have also been doing pilates to help build his strength,” she said.

“He definitely has a lot of potential and has improved since he’s been seeing me over the past four months. He will be working with me until the end of the year and we still have some technical and strengthening work to do before he leaves for 

Melbourne.”

And although nervous about the move, Lachlan says he is excited about what his future holds.

“I want to get into a company anywhere around the world – preferably in Australia – and become a principal dancer.”