Gabe, a Geelong teenager, has recently been accepted into an elite ballet school in Bulgaria to study full time. No stranger to hard work and dedication, he currently spends four hours each day commuting to Melbourne to dance at the Russian Choreographic Academy in Camberwell. There he is trained by Australia’s own Susan Thomson and outstanding ballet teachers she contracts from Russia. His day begins at 7am and he gets home to Geelong at 8:30pm each night. He does this six days a week, now that’s passion!
It is the highest form of Vaganova training in Australia which has helped propel Gabe into making this his career. He began in Geelong at the age of seven under the excellent tuition of Kellie Williamson from the Bellarine Academy of Dance, and later with the Geelong Ballet Centre with the legendary Anne Peterson Commons, Margaret Kokrehlj, Yvette Synot, Natalie Horman and Stephanie Gainey.
Gabe fits in his Year 12 studies by distance education and is grateful for the wonderful academic and musical education he received at Highton Primary School, Christian College and Belmont High.
Commitment alone is not enough though. Gabe’s next challenge is to raise $5,000 by November to fund his trip to Bulgaria. paypal.me/GabrielSlaven101 Having had the pleasure of teaching this talented young man, I wish him well!
HuG 