Mayor of The Hills Shire, Councillor Yvonne Keane presented Harrison Lee with a Mayoral Commendation Award for his service to the ballet community on Friday, April 7.
The 17-year-old from Castle Hill has placed in the top spot in two prestigious ballet competitions including the Youth America Grand Prix and the Prix de Lausanne – further cementing the teenager’s reputation as one of the most promising and prized young dancers of our time.
Mayor Keane, who joined Harrison at Jigsaw Dance Studio for a ballet workshop and Q&A session, said she was impressed with the teen’s passion for ballet, as well as his will to help other budding dancers in the industry to succeed.
“Harrison has done The Hills Shire proud,” Mayor Keane said.
“He’s also got a great natural ability and a heart of gold.
“To see that potential at this age is very exciting and I can’t wait to see what’s next for this incredibly talented dancer,” Mayor Keane added.
Harrison’s start in ballet is very much an unlikely tale.
At the age of six, the winner of the 2015 Sydney Eisteddfod Ballet Scholarship was dragged unwillingly into his sister’s first dance class by his grandmother after refusing to watch.
But once the music started to play, Harrison’s whole mood changed and he began tapping his feet along to the rhythmic beats.
He then marched over to the dance teacher and asked to join in on the class.
Eleven years on and Harrison hasn’t looked back – not even once.
The modest dancer is literally leaping bounds on the stage here in Australia and across Europe and is now perfecting his ballet technique at The Royal Ballet School in London, England.
