QUEANBEYAN’S Dimity Azoury has been crowned the 2014 winner of the Telstra Ballet Dancer Award, the most prestigious prize for ballet in Australia and now in its 11th year.

The announcement was made by Telstra Group General Counsel Carmel Mulhern on stage at the Sydney Opera House following the final dress rehearsal of “The Nutcracker”.

Azoury receives a $20,000 cash prize from Principal Partner Telstra. Dimity was previously nominated for the award in 2012, and has now successfully taken out the title in the award’s

Born and raised in Queanbeyan, (which the Ballet calls “Queanbeyan, Canberra”) the then 26-year-old Azoury joined The Australian Ballet in 2008 and has performed in New York and Toronto. She grew up dancing in the footsteps of her grandmother, who was forbidden to perform professionally, though she wanted to.

“This year marks a very significant milestone in The Australian Ballet and Telstra’s story as we celebrate an incredible 30 years of partnership,” Mulhern said, adding, “One of the greatest successes in our partnership has been the establishment and legacy of the Telstra Ballet Dancer Award which is dedicated to supporting the future of The Australian Ballet’s rising stars.”

The Australian Ballet’s Artistic Director, David McAllister, said, “Dimity is a truly standout dancer. Her exceptional talent shines through in every performance and across her various contributions to the company. Dimity’s dedication and passion make her the perfect overall package. She is a great example of the achievements that can be made through consistent hard work,” said McAllister.

The $5,000 Telstra People’s Choice Award, which was decided by public vote, was won by 22-year-old ballerina Imogen Chapman from Perth in Western Australia.

The other four nominees this year were Cristiano Martino (Adelaide, SA), Jade Wood (Cairns, QLD), Rina Nemoto (Melbourne, VIC) and Ingrid Gow (Randwick, NSW).

The award was introduced in 2003 to encourage young Australian ballet dancers to reach their full potential, and continues to be a calendar highlight for both The Australian Ballet and Telstra.

The award has helped catapult the careers of some of The Australia Ballet’s stars, with seven former winners being promoted to principal artist in the company following their award, including Matthew Lawrence (2003 winner), Amber Scott (2004), Lana Jones (2005), Daniel Gaudiello (2007), Kevin Jackson (2008), Ty King-Wall (2010) and Chengwu Guo (2011)..

This year’s judging panel was formed by David McAllister (Artistic Director, The Australian Ballet),Libby Christie (Executive Director, The Australian Ballet), Carmel Mulhern (Group General Counsel, Telstra), Warwick Bray (Group Managing Director Products, Telstra),Livinia Nixon (TV Presenter, Nine News Melbourne) and Catherine Lambert (Lifestyle and Arts Journalist, Herald Sun).