Nine young Bermudians were given a total of $46,000 in scholarships to further their education in the field of dance.

The awards were presented by the National Dance Foundation of Bermuda at ceremony at O’Hara House today.

Crystal Caesar, a government MP and member of the NDFB’s scholarship selection committee, said that from 2005, the foundation took up the responsibility for continuing the scholarships in honour of the founding members of the Bermuda Ballet Association.

Ms Caesar said the foundation was also given the task of enhancing the scholarship fund to enable more Bermudian dancers, teachers and choreographers to benefit from world class training overseas.

Since then, she said the fund has awarded over $1 million in scholarships through professional development grants and bursaries thanks to the support of charitable and corporate donors and the generosity of individuals.

She said the scholarships allowed Bermudian dancers to be trained and to work professionally more than ever before.

Ms Caesar said: “Today the board of the National Dance Foundation Fund is proud of the young Bermudians who will be highlighted as the 2024 scholarship recipients and bursary awardees.”

The Chubb Charitable Foundation of Bermuda bursary of $7,500 was split between Ava Joy Moreno, Naysaa Tucker and Aura Doran.

Ms Moreno, who recently completed studies at the Grier School in Pennsylvania, was awarded a $3,000 bursary to fund her freshman year at Merriman’s Manhattan College where she will pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in modern dancing.

Ms Tucker was awarded a $2,500 bursary to fund her junior year at the American Music and Dramatic Academy in Los Angeles, where she is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in dance theatre.

She was described by one of her professors as a “dream student” who was 100 per cent committed to her craft.

Ms Doran was awarded a $2,000 bursary to continue studies in the senior advanced, high performance ballet programme at the National Dance Academy in Ontario, Canada.

She was described as an aspiring ballet dancer who was passionate and dedicated to dance.

Soleil Richardson, who is entering her freshman year at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee in Massachusetts, was presented with a $1,000 scholarship by the committee of the NDFB.

She recently graduated from Williston Northampton School in Massachusetts.

Ms Richardson, who took part this summer in an internship at The Royal Gazette, is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in commercial dance.

Ms Caesar said: “She is credited by one of her former teachers as having an incredible work ethic, talent and humility, inspiring other young dancers to show up as their best selves.”

At today’s event, the NDFB presented three major scholarships to young women.

The awardees include Vidya Cannonier-Watson who was granted a $7,500 award which was sponsored by Arch Reinsurance.

The award will fund her studies at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts in Hertfordshire, England where she is in her second year of study.

Vanessa Hardy Pickering, the chief financial officer of Arch Reinsurance and a former board member of the NDFB, said the young woman’s journey in dance was testament to the power of dedication, passion and resilience.

Honor Minors was awarded $7,500 which was funded by the Christian Humann Foundation.

Ms Minors is a second year student at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee where she is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in commercial dance.

T’aja Williams received the third major scholarship of $7,500 which was sponsored by the Bermuda Ballet Association.

Ms Williams is a student at George Mason University in Virginia where she is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in dance.

The Catherine Zeta-Jones Scholarship, valued at $15,000, was awarded to Skye Minors.

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

Ms Minors is entering her senior year at the Chadwick A Boseman School of Fine Arts at Howard University where she is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in dance.

“We have every belief that Skye will do great things in the future,” Ms Caesar said.