Genée Alumni

Thea Constantinou

Bio

I have been taking ballet classes at Dance Works (in Nicosia, Cyprus), with Clare Merchant Andreou since I was four and have successfully passed all RAD examinations with distinction. I have been a member of the Nicosia Youth Ballet since 2011. In 2013 I won 3rd prize in the Pancyprian Ballet Competition and in 2014, 2nd prize in Hellas International Ballet Competition in Athens.

What did you learn from the Genée?

Those have been the best days of my life! The Genée gave me the opportunity to further discover the world of ballet by working with renowned teachers, choreographers and pianists from all around the world. It was a great combination of hard work and entertainment and it felt more like a workshop rather than competition, since all the competitors became a family by the end of the challenging but enjoyable week. Thank you RAD for giving the opportunity to young dancers to have this once-in-a-lifetime experience!

Do you have any advice for future candidates?

Treat every class like a performance, work hard and believe in yourselves! But above all, enjoy the experience!

Would you recommend the competition to others?

Of course I would recommend the competition to others since I believe it is the best way to gain experience at a pre-professional level, meet motivated dancers of your age from all around the world and take a glimpse at how your life as a dancer might be in the future.

How did the Genée benefit you personally or professionally?

The Genée helped me develop and grow both personally and as a dancer. I would say the most important benefit was gaining confidence, since dancing on stage in front of the judges and the audience requires courage and self-belief.