Top accolades for dancer Nathan Brook who dared to dream

In a double honour, the soloist with The Australian Ballet has won the Rising Star Award and the people’s choice award.

Australian Ballet soloist Nathan Brook, at Fairy Bower Rock Pool in Sydney, has been named the winner of both the Telstra Rising Star Award and Telstra People’s Choice Award. Picture: Getty Images

Like many other boys who discover a love for ballet, Nathan Brook experienced bullying at school, but the dancer who dared to follow his dreams on Tuesday night won two awards to encourage young talent within the ranks of The Australian Ballet.

Brook, 26, has won both the Telstra Rising Star Award and the People’s Choice Award, having earned the votes of “friends, family and fans” from his community on Sydney’s northern beaches and beyond.

The double honour was announced from the stage of the Sydney Opera House after Brook had danced in the premiere of New York Dialogues.

“I thought, ‘Surely not, I’m dreaming, they’ve made a mistake and called the wrong name’,” Brook said. “I felt my knees go a little bit weak.”

Brook was leader in a field of six nominees for the awards, with Imogen Chapman, Jasmin Durham, Serena Graham, Corey ­Herbert and Cameron Holmes.

He grew up in a surf and sport-mad family of three boys at Avalon in Sydney, and enrolled in dance classes at age seven after neighbours spotted his talent and enthusiasm. He was the only boy his age who studied ballet and “of course I got bullied for that”.

“Being a male ballet dancer, growing up, you’re going against the grain, the normal stereotype,” he said. “The pendulum is definitely swinging for boys in ballet, which I think is awesome.

“I’m super-passionate about encouraging young guys to go against the grain if that’s what they want to do – to dance to the beat of their own drum.” There were a few early disappointments. He studied hard at the Australian Ballet School in Melbourne with the dream of being accepted into The Australian Ballet, but on graduating he missed out.

Instead, Brook started his ­professional career with Li ­Cunxin at the Queensland Ballet in Brisbane.

He loved the experience there, but was committed to his childhood dream of dancing with the national company.

“The dedication and motivation to achieve that dream of being in The Australian Ballet made me work even harder, which I think has helped my progression,” he said.

Audiences can see Brook dance in performances of New York Dialogues at the Sydney Opera House until April 24, and then in Melbourne in June.