FORMER Queanbeyan dancer Dimity Azoury has a chance to take out The Australian Ballet’s highest honour.

Azoury, a former Kim Harvey School of Dance student who joined The Australian Ballet in 2008, is one of six Telstra Ballet Dancer Award nominees.

If she wins, not only will she claim bragging rights, but will receive a $20,000 cash prize. The award will be judged by an industry panel, however Canberrans can get behind her with the People’s Choice Award. And it’s not a bad consolation prize, the People’s Choice winner will receive $5000.

To vote Azoury as your favourite, visit telstra.com/ballet. The winners will be announced at the end of the year.

Adam’s new opener…

FORMER Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist must have one eye on the cricket and another on a pile of resumes about now.

As chairman of the Canberra-based National Australia Day Council, Gilchrist is looking to replace the council’s CEO following the departure of Warren Pearson.

Pearson has overseen the Australia Day celebrations in the capital and on a national scale for the past 11 years and was responsible for the Australian of the Year Awards.

He has taken up the position of assistant secretary, Multicultural Affairs at the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

NADC deputy CEO and national program director Tam Johnston is currently acting CEO.

Date hits a high

SO ‘80s… who was the Canberra publicist whose new squeeze turned up for their second date to find her stoned? So much so, she spent most of the evening out in the ladies’ loo throwing up.

Mow town

NEEDS must… We’ve heard of one European embassy from a basket-case economy that’s had to let the gardeners go and is now doing its own mowing.

Tommy loves us

US fashion brand Tommy Bahama has used Australia, and Canberra in particular, for inspiration for its latest furniture range they’ve called “Road to Canberra”.

“Maybe it’s the attitude, maybe it’s the lifestyle, maybe it’s what happens when you live on the world’s biggest island,” the video advertisement says.

“But there’s something about Australia. The land and the people just exude a passion for indigenous style.”

Sure… The “unique look” of woven vaneer accented by a “remarkable blend of natural elements” and has “an outback vibe with out front style”.

Items include: “Ainslie mirror”, “Weston Creek chest”, “Parkes Armless Chair” and “Lennox Gardens sideboard”. Sounds tasteful!

Tommy Bahama makes men’s and women’s wear, accessories and furniture.

The “Road to Canberra” clip is at lexington.com/collections/Road-To-Canberra.cfm

History repeats itself

DISAPPOINTING, but not a bad run between showers for the Canberra Symphony Orchestra’s annual prom concert. It’s been 30 years since it had last cancelled the iconic outdoor show at Government House. Like the first prom in 1982, severe weather caused the concert’s cancellation.

Soloists Eva Kong and Gaetano Bonfante and conductor Marc Taddei flew out of Canberra on Sunday with little more than a thrilling rehearsal to show for their efforts!

All food pre-prepared for the corporate and VIP marquees was donated to local charity OzHarvest.

Many ticket holders are not seeking refunds in a gesture to help the orchestra offset some of the significant costs of preparing for the cancelled event.

Hitting the wall

THE battle between Megalo Print Studio and Gallery and local musicians over the Fitters’ Workshop in Kingston has hit the wall. It appears someone is working guerrilla style, plastering mock posters all over the building.

Megalo Print Studio and Gallery was sent shots of the poster and posted it on its Facebook site: “Someone sent in these shots to us of a poster that’s been spotted around town. Not sure who is responsible but we are amused.”

“CC” finds it amusing, too… but we’re not sure at whose expense the joke is on.

Men in black (tutus)

ON Saturday, March 10, two dozen men will pair lycra with little black tutus and set off to cycle between Canberra and Melbourne in the charity “Ride for the Little Black Dress” to raise awareness of bowel cancer for The Jodi Lee Foundation.

Bowel cancer is the second biggest cause of cancer-related death in Australia, however it is 90 per cent curable if detected early.

The ride aims to increase awareness of early detection of bowel cancer and encourage people to screen annually from age 40, while raising an anticipated $200,000 for the foundation.

A spring into style?

WHILE we wait to see how successful the all-new Enlighten autumn festival will be at attracting tourists to the capital, Canberra’s flagship event, Floriade is set to be a winner again in 2012.

The Floriade event report from 2011 says this year’s flower festival will “spring into style” and we’re hearing the theme is shaping up around fashion and design.

Last year’s “Feast for the Senses” program had cooking demonstrations and a kitchen garden. This year we’re hoping to see a touch of glamour and some quality fashions among those tulips.

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