Former young Inverell dancer Rikki Mason is set for new heights in his dancing career. Currently training at the Australian Dance Performance Institue, under Barbara Eversen, Rikki has recently been accepted into Ecole-Atelier Rudra in Bejart, Lausanne.
The prestigious school is located in Lausanne, Switzerland, and Rikki was selected after submitting a DVD showcasing his talent.
Rikki grew up in Inverell and at the age of six, started martial arts with Nick King at Jin Ryu Kan Martial Arts Centre.
He achieved his second degree Black Belt before travelling with Nick and the Australian Koshiki Karate-Do Federation to Canada in 2007 to compete in the world titles.
Dance became an interest for RIkki in 2006 when he joined with Nick King and Laura Harmer-King, and others to perform a Karate/Dance item for fun at a local dance concert. As a result he develped a passion for dance and became a student at Crase Dance Academy, participating in local eisteddfods and dance productions. On completing Inverell HIgh School in 2007 Rikki moved to Brisbane to join the Australian Dance Performance Institue.
During this time he took classes with the Sydney Dance Company and was a member of the Brisbane Youth Ballet Company, where he performed in Cinderella, as a soloist in 2008. This year (2009) Rikki has travelled to New Zealand to compete in the Alana Haines Australasian Ballet Awards, where he reached the quarterfinals. He has also competed in the Sunshine Coast Ballet Repertoire section and the Brisbane Performing Arts Ballet Challenge.
He is now looking forward to the challenge of teh Lusanne Bejart Ballet School, and will leave for Switzerland in August to start the two year coarse on September 1.
At the school he will train six days a week and 11 hours a day, getting only Mondays off. Rikki is one of only 13 boys in the world selected for this opportunity.
The classes will include different forms of dance, circus acrobatics and martial arts. The school travels around Europe performing for different effents. Once he has completed his second year he will be eligible to audition for dance companies in Europe. The Bejart School has a 98-100 per cent sucess rate with placing its students with companies.
Rikki will be returning to Inverell prior to departing for Switzerland. He will be taking the opportunity to catch up with students and participate in classes at Craze Dance Academy.