Sara Holton International Scholarship Announced

Sara Holton International Scholarship Announced By Jane Gardner

Sara Holton & Stephen Allan in Sleeping Beauty. Photo Bob House

The first recipients of the Sara Holton International Scholarship have been announced by Catherine Taylor, Artistic Director of Quinte Ballet School of Canada (QBSC). Katie Baird and Daryk Richards, current students in QBSC’s professional training program and Grade 11 students at Centennial Secondary School, will each receive a scholarship to attend the Royal Danish Ballet Summer School in Copenhagen for three weeks in July.

“When Sara came to the Quinte Ballet School of Canada in Grade 7, it was immediately clear that this young girl loved to move and to dance, and was smitten with ballet,” says Taylor. “With every year in her training at QBSC, we saw steady and excellent progression in Sara’s dancing. She loved the city of Copenhagen as much as she loved the ballet program she attended in July 2018.” Sara hoped one day to audition for the Royal Danish Ballet; however, she was never able to as she died on Sept. 23, 2018, at the age of 17, just a few weeks after returning from Europe.

To honour Sara, a long-standing student of QBSC, her grandfather, Rolfe Morrison, along with family members and friends, donated funds to establish a scholarship in her memory. Her love of travel was shared with her extended family, in particular, her grandfather, who saw first-hand how important it was for her to attend international summer dance training programs.

Richards says, “Sara inspired me to work hard and made me want to do even more with my dance. She always liked new experiences. She was totally committed to her dance and I want to try and replicate her passion.”

Baird adds, “one of the many things I loved about Sara was her excitement towards dancing. She had a tremendous impact on me; she was an amazing dancer and friend.”