Jacqui Pells School of Ballet

JPSB AWARDS TIME Dance Competition 2026
- Alexia Olivier: Best Senior Ballet Dancer
-Alexia Olivier: Best Ballet Competition Solo for 'Red Shoes'
-Baylen Boer: Most Outstanding Technique
- Rebecca Rawlins: Best Pee-Wee Ballet Dancer
- Most Outstanding Junior Entry In Comp: 'Carry You' Duet, choreographed by Tracey Aaron & performed by Micaela Jainoodien & Lucy Grace Mackay
- Rebecca Rawlins: Top 10 Pee-Wee Dancers
- Emma Naude: Top 10 Junior Dancers
- Lucy Grace Mackay: Top 10 Junior Dancers
- Dane' Olivier: Top 10 Teen Dancers
- Alexia Olivier: Top 10 Senior Dancers
- Baylen Boer: Top 10 Senior Dancers

Congratulations to all my beautiful students on their outstanding achievements at the Ballet Repertoire Evening TIME Dance Competition on Saturday night. Every one of them performed so beautifully and we celebrate them for the months of dedication and hours spent in the studio working on these challenging solos. It was extra special to have our former JPSB alumni Sasha Jade Hugo Barnes from Cape Town City Ballet performing with Axton Green as quest artists. A huge thank you to TIME Dance Competition for making this a dedicated and special evening for classical ballet and also to the esteemed judging panel who gave such insightful and considered feedback to both the competitors and teachers. Tracey Aaron ILLANA MARGOLIS .
Pre-Competitive Division:
🏅 1st Place: Lucy Mackay Lucy MacKay
Teen Division:
🥈 2nd Place: Dane' Olivier Dané
Senior Division:
🏅 1st Place: Baylen Boer Baylen🇿🇦
🥈 2nd Place: Alexia Olivier

Last night was a very special full circle moment for me - I got to honour the incredible Barbara Holden, who I was so fortunate to have as my teacher and mentor. She was a superbly gifted teacher, way ahead of her time in many ways, and she had a special instinct for choreography, stage craft and story telling. She was also demanding, very eccentric, and had an extremely off beat (some might call it offensive,) sense of humour - certainly not everybody's cup of tea, but I ADORED her. She would often make us cry in class and throw the loo roll at us to mop up our tears 😜 She even 'fired' a whole class one year because she was fed up with the parents - very different times. I credit her with so much of what I understand about teaching - she imparted knowledge to me that no teaching exam ever could.
I bought a very special choreography of hers 'Red Shoes,' many years ago, before she passed away, as I didn't want this legacy choreography to be lost. Alexia Olivier thank you for bringing this beautiful, complex and 'old school ballet solo' to life once again. I think Aunty Barbs would have been so happy with the way you performed it. What's even more special is that Alexia's mom Saretha Janse van Rensburg was also a student of Barbara's. Truly a full circle moment - some stories go way beyond the competition.

Stunning contemporary performances last night from you both 🩷 Such an incredibly strong standard of work in this senior section which was beautiful to see. Congratulations to both of you on your hard earned results. Best of all is to see your friendship and beautiful support for one another. Such a pleasure to work with girls like this who are as beautiful off the stage as they are on it. It's not often as a teacher that you get back more than what you give, but I feel that about both of you - so hardworking and authentic in every way. Thank you to Yarisha
for your choreography and Tracey Aaron for your careful contemporary training. Congratulations on your Platinum award and 2nd Place Baylen silver 🥈