Scholarships & Secondments
Part of Ballet Theatre Queensland’s mission is to provide career pathways and opportunities to promising young dancers. Each season we are proud to offer BTQ tuition scholarships, as well as a number of fully-funded secondments with national and international ballet companies and training organisations. We are incredibly grateful to the generous donors, supporters and partners who make these opportunities possible for our young artists.
Secondment Opportunities
Phyllis Danaher Memorial Scholarship
Kindly supported by Risk Management Intercontinental & Bill and Dympna Danaher.
Phyllis Danaher (MBE, FRAD) was a dancer, teacher, and choreographer. Born in Brisbane, she helped establish the Queensland branch of the newly formed Australasian Society of Operatic Dancing, an umbrella organization for teachers of ballet. This was the genesis of Ballet Theatre Queensland (BTQ). The Memorial Scholarship was established to honour the founder of BTQ.
To honour Miss Danaher, every year her family offers a full scholarship to one of BTQ’s dancers. Details include:
- The recipient must have danced with BTQ for 1 year
- 2x Independent adjudicators determine the recipient
- The recipient will be notified before orientation day and their name published in the production program and the first newsletter
Jodie White-Bivona
Memorial Scholarship
Kindly supported by the Whiteley family.
Jodie White-Bivona Memorial Scholarship was set up in loving memory of Jodie Anne White-Bivona (13/05/67 – 21/01/12). Jodie and her husband Boris were joint Artistic Directors of BTQ for 10 years. During their tenure the company’s growth was enormous, transforming it into the very professional ballet company we have today.
Jodie’s passion for BTQ sustained her through years of battling illness, with her main focus in the last months of her life on ensuring her production of Cinderella reached the stage. On Wednesday, 18th January, 2012 Jodie watched the premiere of Cinderella, taking her last curtain call to a standing ovation. Jodie passed away peacefully at home on Saturday, 21st January, 2012. She was and will continue to be an inspiration to all who knew her.
The Jodie White-Bivona Memorial Scholarship will cover BTQ fees for one season. Details include:
- The recipient must have danced with BTQ for 2 consecutive years
- 2x independent adjudicators determine the recipient
- The recipient shows outstanding ability, dedication and love of ballet (the true essence of Ms Jodie)
- The recipient will be notified before orientation day and their name published in the production program and the first newsletter
Chairman's Scholarship
The inaugural Chairman's Scholarship was awarded in 2025, recognising the exceptional achievements of a young dancer in the season. It offers them a fully-funded position in the Company's next production and will become and annual award.
The BTQ Whitely Family Bursary
Ballet Theatre Queensland now offers an annual means-tested bursary to be awarded to a member of exceptional promise. Students expressing interest in applying must first be accepted into BTQ through the normal audition process and then make a separate application for the bursary, which will be judged according to specified criteria.We thank the Whiteley family whose support has made this bursary possible.
Application for Whitely Family Bursary
Past recipients
Our financial opportunities have helped shape the journeys of many young dancers beyond the stage.
Phyllis Danaher Memorial Scholarship
2024
Lucy Sadler
2011
Madi Whiteley
2012
Katelyn
2013
Ted Cooper
2014
Meghan Hansen
2015
Allysa Park
2016
Hanna Chaki
2017
Amy Ronnefeldt
2018
Eloise McKee
2019
Maeve Wells
2020
Jenson Blight
2021
Bronte Mollison
2022
Eve Albion
2023
Sarah Oh
Jodie White-Bivona Memorial Scholarship
2024
Caitlin Volker
2012
Amy Radford
2013
Alicia Townsend
2014
Amelia Fisher
2015
Ted Cooper
2016
Zara Ibrahim
2017
Abbey Haller
2018
Zara Ibrahim
2019
Amelia Kratz
2020
Maya Irimichi
2021
Cooper Tate
2022
Emily Buckley
2023
Olivia Nason
Encouragement Awards
2025 Chairman's Encouragement
Ysabella Garcia
2024: Carmel Nolan Encouragement*
Inka Kenzler & Lily Hayhurst
*Proudly presented and donated by BTQ Alumni, Carmel Nolan
BTQ Chairman's Scholarship
2025
Piper Loone
West Australian Ballet Secondment
2025
Abbey Haller
English National Ballet School Secondment
2025
Chloe Hough
Australian Ballet School Scholarships
2025: 1-week training
Siena Lieshman
Royal Ballet School Scholarships
2025: Summer Intensive
Ivy Noonan, Ravi Lyndon & Lillian Richmond
Queensland Ballet Academy Scholarships
2025: 1-week training
Elizabeth Trieu, Eleanor Trieu, Vida Ambrosia Lopera, Bryn Lindsay & Gemma Jonker
Hear from our dancers