A coveted contract with a world-renowned ballet company, a year before graduating, is a dream come true for a Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) dance student.

Hot on the heels of winning a major international ballet competition, second year Antonia Cramb will leap into a role with Scottish Ballet.

And she’ll now balance studying for the last year of her RCS BA Modern Ballet degree with life on stage.

“It feels so surreal – it has been my dream since I was eight years old to join Scottish Ballet and RCS has been the best stepping stone into the company,” said Antonia, 18, from Crieff.

“I’m excited that I’ll be able to work in close partnership with RCS to finish my degree and get to graduate in July 2025, as well as working as a professional. It feels like the best of both worlds.”

© Martin Bell / Royal Academy of Dance

It has been a whirlwind few weeks for Antonia, who scooped the top prize at the Margot Fonteyn International Ballet competition in London in September.

The annual event attracts the finest young dancers from around the world, who perform over eight days, before competing in front of a panel of some of ballet’s biggest stars, including this year’s judges Dame Darcey Bussell and Alessandra Ferri.

“I don’t think there was anyone more shocked than me, to be honest,” laughed Antonia.

“It still hasn’t sunk in. I was a finalist in 2023 and had such a good experience I entered again this year for the performance and learning experience. I made the most amazing friends and memories, and the cherry on the top was winning the gold medal. It has been incredible.”

The BA Modern Ballet degree at RCS is delivered in partnership with Scottish Ballet. It offers students an invaluable insight into professional life, where they work with the company’s artistic team, dancers, acclaimed teachers and choreographers. In third year, students attend a weekly class at Scottish Ballet’s home at Tramway, with some students joining the company on tour.

Kerry Livingstone, Head of the School of Dance at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, said: “Antonia’s win at the Fonteyn and her Scottish Ballet appointment reflects her exceptional talent and commitment. Luminaries of the ballet world are Fonteyn gold medallists, so to have one of our own, a Scottish student who has trained at the RCS and has flourished here, is testament to the quality of teaching offered on the BA Modern Ballet programme.

“It’s also an incredible achievement to join a national dance company, especially having auditioned as a second-year student. Antonia has worked consistently to get to this point, and we are all absolutely thrilled for her.

“We are also so proud of Nicolas Pereira da Silva, who has just entered third year, who joined Antonia in the Fonteyn final, and second-year students Selene Guasti and Isla MacLeod who reached the semi-finals.”

Reflecting on her time on the course, Antonia added: “My favourite part about being a student at RCS has been the people – the staff and students – and the environment here.

“It’s so nurturing and I feel that they value us as people, and not just for our dancing, which means holistically, we all will reach our full potential. It’s such a brilliant set-up and it’s the people I’ll miss the most.”

Image below: Andy Ross