The National Dance Foundation Bermuda has awarded scholarships to several Bermudian students.

With help from individual and corporate sponsors, the foundation has provided $1 million in scholarship funding to aspiring Bermudian dancers and performers since 2005.

A foundation spokeswoman said: “There are now more Bermudian dancers working professionally throughout the world than ever before.”

In a ceremony this week, Ravi Cannonier-Watson, who will be entering his final year at the Royal Ballet School in London in September, was awarded the top prize, the $15,000 Catherine Zeta-Jones Scholarship.

The award was presented in honour of Patricia Calnan, a founding member of the Bermuda Ballet Association.

The spokeswoman said: “Ravi’s classical training at the Royal Ballet has prepared him well to perform classical or contemporary dance.

“Although his hope is to join the Royal Ballet company initially, he is certain to have a bright career in any professional dance company.”

Mr Cannonier-Watson’s sister, Vidya, received this year’s $7,500 Arch Scholarship, awarded in honour of Ana Roje, another founding member of BBA.

Ms Cannonier-Watson will be entering the sixth-form programme at the Tring School of Performing Arts in England this year.

“The NDFB scholarship committee wishes Ms Cannonier-Watson well as she continues to impress and excel in her studies,” the spokeswoman added.

Onuri Smith, who is pursuing musical theatre with a focus on dance performance and contextual studies at Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London, earned the Christian Humann Foundation Scholarship.

Also worth $7,500, this bursary was presented in honour of Georgine Mary Russell Hill.

With dreams of performing on Broadway or London’s West End, Mr Smith also hopes to return to the island one day to share his passion for the arts and activism.

T’aja Williams, who is pursuing dance at George Mason University in Virginia, was awarded the Bermuda Ballet Association Scholarship, also worth $7,500.

This bursary was presented in honour of L. John Profit, another BBA founding member.

Described as one of the strongest dancers at the school, Ms Williams completed a programme with Alonzo King Lines Ballet in San Francisco this summer.

Another $7,500 fund, sponsored by the Chubb Charitable Foundation, will be shared among four students — Honour Minors, Ava Moreno, Eden Furbert and Naysaa Tucker.

Ms Minors will study commercial dance at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Ms Moreno is starting her senior year at the Grier School in Pennsylvania, Ms Furbert is enrolled in the North Carolina School of the Arts and Ms Tucker will be a sophomore at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Los Angeles.

Members of the NDFB Fund Scholarship committee presented a $1,250 bursary to Myles Smith, who is studying dance performance at the Liverpool Media Academy.