Qld Ballet’s Mia Heathcote promoted to soloist at curtain call

Following a performance as Wendy in Queensland Ballet's Peter Pan season on October 28, dancer Mia Heathcote (pictured) was promoted from Company Artist to Soloist.

Queensland Ballet Artistic Director, Li Cunxin, surprised Mia at the curtain call of the evening performance with the news and was brimming with praise for the young dancer and her ability.

"Mia is blessed with natural ability but she also gives everything of herself to every performance and brings so much character to the roles she dances," he said.

"Mia has consistently been cast in lead roles over the last year and has very much earned our respect and admiration in the performances she has delivered.

"I feel this promotion recognises that hard work, commitment and talent."

Mia was born in Melbourne and trained at The Australian Ballet School.

She began her ballet training at the age of 4, with Anna Veretennikova, and then Jane Moore. Mia joined The Australian Ballet School in 2010 and during her time there she received an Advanced Diploma of Dance, The Graeme Murphy Award for Excellence in contemporary dance and the Award for Excellence in classical ballet.

Mia joined Queensland Ballet as a Company Dancer in January 2014. She was a dual recipient of the Rachael Walsh Artistic Award.

Mia's repertoire highlights include Titania in Liam Scarlett's A Midsummer Night's Dream, American Girl in Derek Deane's Strictly Gershwin, Odette in Ben Stevenson's Swan Lake, Paulina Quinteros' Wings of Love pas de deux, Fairy of Grace and Fairy of Beauty in Greg Horsman's The Sleeping Beauty, Effie in Peter Schaufuss' La Sylphide, George Balanchine's Serenade, and Sir Kenneth MacMillan's Romeo & Juliet.