Hannah O'Neill

Hannah O'Neill is a New Zealand ballet dancer. She has a life-time contract with the Opera National de Paris.[1]

Early life

O'Neill was born in Japan to a New Zealand father, Chris, a professional rugby player, and a Japanese mother, Sumie.[2] She has two younger brothers. O'Neill started dancing when she was three years old.[3] When she was eight, the family moved to Auckland, New Zealand.[1]

O'Neill attended Parnell District School and Epsom Girls' Grammar School. She studied ballet at the Mt Eden Ballet Academy and then in 2008, at the age of 15, moved to Melbourne to study at the Australian Ballet School.[1][4] In 2011 she graduated as dux of the ballet school.[2]

Career

In 2009, O'Neill won the Prix de Lausanne, the world’s most prestigious competition for young dancers.[4] The next year, she won first place in the senior woman's section at the Youth America Grand Prix in New York.[4] Following these achievements, O'Neill was accepted into the Paris Opera Ballet School, and in August 2012 was offered a short-term contract with the company.[4] The following year she was offered a life-time contract.[2]

In 2014, O'Neill won the Varna International Ballet Competition, the oldest and one of the most prestigious ballet competitions in the world.[4] In 2016, she received the Best Female Dancer award at the Benois de la Danse competition for her performance in the title role of the ballet Paquita.[2][3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "NZ dancer realises dream on Paris stage". New Zealand Herald. 2015-04-08. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 2016-06-05.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Hannah O'Neill joins the elite of the Prix Benois de la danse". Valerie Lawson's Dancelines. 2016-05-27. Retrieved 2016-06-05.
  3. 1 2 Spy. "Celebrating the sisterhood: Kiwi women kicking ass". spy.nzherald.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-06-05.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Alana Haines :: FIRST NZ'er WINS WORLD'S MOST PRESTIGIOUS AWARD". www.ahaawards.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-06-05.
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