Centurion ballet star dances her way to world recognition
Isabella Godinho was awarded a professional scholarship to study at an international ballet school at the South African International Ballet competition.
Centurion ballet dancer Isabella Godinho (17) recently came in second at the South African International Ballet Competition in Cape Town.
Godinho competed against other talented ballet dancers from around the world in the senior category for dancers aged 17 to 21.
She said being part of the competition was exciting as it was her first time participating physically.
“This is the first international competition that I have participated in. I entered this competition twice online during the lockdown, so it was really exciting to be there physically this time,” she said.
Godinho said her ballet performance was about a woman who met a prince and fell in love.
“The whole variation that I did was about the woman expressing her love for the prince,” she said.
She said her performance also conveyed the woman’s excitement about being able to dance, as she had a heart problem that prevented her from dancing.
Leading up to the competition, Godinho received guidance from her teacher during classes, and she would also practise the dance pieces on her own after class to ensure that she was prepared.
Image: Supplied
She said her top priority was to perfect her dance routines and techniques so that she would give her best performance on stage.
Godinho also competed in the 2020 Universal Ballet Competition and the 2022 Dance World Cup.
“Competing alongside other talented dancers has been an inspiring experience, and I am thankful for the support of my teachers, family, and friends who have encouraged me every step of the way.”
She reflected on her experience learning ballet and said that she began taking classes in primary school.
She said although she had no interest in it at first, she eventually fell in love with it.
In addition to her accolade at the competition, Godinho was also awarded a professional scholarship to study at Brussels International Ballet School and a summer programme in France.
Isabella’s mom, Tatiana, said that she was proud of her daughter’s achievements.
“Isabella works really hard, and we see her hard work. She guides herself through everything that she does, which takes a lot of self-discipline,” she said.
She said ballet has helped Isabella achieve a lot of things and hopes that it will continue to open doors for her.
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