Two country boys have walked away with the Australian Ballet’s prestigious annual Award and People’s Choice.

The streamers flew after the curtain call at Saturday’s Sydney opening night of Coppélia for the announcement of the 2016 Telstra Ballet Dancer Award.

^{Callum Linnane and Jarryd Madden receive their awards at the Sydney opening of Coppélia, photo © Lisa Tomasetti}

The prestigious Australian Ballet Award went to 21-year old Callum Linnane, the son of a Ballarat brickie. Worth $20,000, the Award is supported by the Company’s principal sponsor Telstra. Born into a family of bricklayers, Linnane’s love of dance was inspired by a fascination with Michael Jackson’s moves. He started tap dancing at age seven and began studying ballet at age 11. In 2008, he joined the Australian Ballet School, then toured with the Dancers’ Company in 2013 and 2014. Accepted into the AB in 2015, he has featured in performances of Symphony in C and In The Middle, Somewhat Elevated. Most recently, he was selected to perform the lead role in John Neumeier’s Nijinsky – quite an achievement for such a young dancer.

Congratulating Linnane on his win, AB Artistic Director David...