Dance alumni awarded

Siobhan McKenna, Jacqueline Trapp and Olivia McPherson have all received graduate awards after successfully completing their Bachelor of Arts degrees in dance through the University of Melbourne.

Founder of Bega dance company Fling Physical Theatre, Lee Pemberton, guided the trio while they were part of the company as youngsters.

Ms McPherson, who won the VCA’s Orloff Family Charitable Trust Scholarship in Dance for the most outstanding dancer in the 2016 graduating year, joined YFling in 2008 and by 2010 was touring the Parramatta Riverside Theatres.

”I’ll never forget seeing Oli fly dramatically around the stadium in The Idea of South five metres off the floor in the Bega Stadium,” Ms Pemberton said.

“I was always glad after the scene to see her back down on the floor, but she never seemed to bat an eyelid and was always happy to go the extra mile.”

Ms Trapp joined Fling during 2013, and the 22-year-old is ecstatic her dream of travelling to the German capital Berlin, will now be a reality after winning the VCA’s Dr Phillip Law Travel Scholarship.

“Jacqui is a very precise, inquisitive dancer who has developed her own quirky style at the VCA,” Ms Pemberton said.

“She is a dancer with an incredibly curious mind who goes deep into questioning the whys and where fors of dance making.”

Ms McKenna, who has won the VCA’s 2016 Choreographic Award, joined YFling in 2008.

“Siobhan has been awarded a choreographic award for a work which I saw produced at the VCA in 2016,” Ms Pemberton said.

“When I watched this performance I  was very impressed by her ability to stick with her choreographic investigation and articulate her ideas with great clarity and finesse.

“It will be very interesting to see what she produces next as I see in her as a choreographer in the making.”