Hayley Irwin: Castle Hill girl accepted into The Australian Ballet school’s ITP program

An up-and-coming dance superstar — aged 10 — has just earned a spot in The Australian Ballet school’s prestigious ITP program, designed to prepare young people for a professional career in dance.

After winning first place at the Sydney Jazz Eisteddfod, Castle Hill’s Hayley Irwin has continued her amazing year in dance by earning a spot in The Australian Ballet School’s prestigious ITP program.

Hayley, aged 10, has attended dance classes at Bella Vista’s Caper School of Performing Arts since she was three-years-old.

Now she will head to Melbourne for The Australian Ballet School’s intensive training sessions, run during the Victorian school holidays, and take part in Sydney-based specialised coaching classes.

Speaking to The Hills Shire Times, Hayley said she loved dancing even though she could get a bit nervous on stage.

“I like performing … (and) I also find classes fun because you get to dance with your friends and try hard,” she said.

Hayley Irwin at the Caper School of Performing Arts.

Hayley has been dancing since she was three-years-old.

Hayley doesn’t just love ballet though. She said hip hop and tap were two of her other favourite dance genres.

Beth McDermott, one of the owners of Caper School of Performing Arts, said the ITP program was very difficult to earn a spot in as The Australian Ballet School is the peak national training organisation to prepare young people for a professional career in dance.

Hayley Irwin.

“From my experience it’s quite difficult to make it in,” Ms McDermott said. “The past students of ours who have made it in have actually gone on to professional careers.”

“(The selectors) would be looking for their natural turnout … but I think they look a lot at musicality as well, so they play the music and see how students respond to it.”

Ms McDermott said she was “so proud” of Hayley when she received the good news.

“I was very excited and so proud, it’s a big deal,” she said. “(I’m) very happy for Hayley and she deserves it, she’s worked so hard in class — she’s one of those students who always gives 110 per cent no matter how she feels, whether she’s tired she’s still always doing her best, so it’s a very well-deserved opportunity.

“Hayley’s also quite an all-rounder. She has this great achievement here with the ballet but she also came first placed in the jazz section at Sydney Eisteddfod this year, and that’s a big achievement.

“In addition to her ballet, she also loves acrobatics and hip hop so I would say she’s a very versatile dancer and is seeing great success in all the different dance genres which is a great achievement.”

Hayley’s mum Sarah Irwin said it’s been “a very exciting year” for Hayley as she goes from strength to strength in her dancing.

“(Watching her dance) is the best thing in the world,” she said. “It’s a dream for me to watch her, it really is.