A 19-year-old builder's labourer was awarded a $200 ballet scholarship, The Canberra Times reported on its front page on this day 45 years ago.
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Andrew Baxter, who attended Bryan Lawrence's School of Dancing in Dickson was awarded the scholarship alongside Vicki Hourigan, 12, of Aranda.
Baxter, who had been working for a Kambah-based construction company, had appeared on stage with the Australian Ballet in two separate Canberra productions: The Sleeping Beauty and Romeo and Juliet.
Baxter's mother, Janet, attended weekly adult ballet classes and his sister, Susan, 17, had studied ballet for some years. His twin brother, Mark, was also a labourer who studied ballet.
Baxter was spotted by Mr Lawrence and invited to take part in an intensive study program which involved daily three-hour classes.
"It doesn't leave me much time for sport," Baxter said. "I swim in the summer and I guess I get more exercise than most football players through the rest of the year."
Baxter said he planned to continue his ballet classes in the hope of gaining admission to the Australian Ballet School.
