Jade Wood already looked like a star for the curtain call of Cinderella, which opened at the Sydney Opera House last night. Appearing as one of the celestial bodies summoned by the Fairy Godmother in Alexei Ratmansky’s production, she was clad in a star-like tutu.

But it turned into an even more stellar night for Wood, with the onstage presentation of the Telstra Ballet Dancer Award 2018. Not only did Wood win the main Award worth $20,000 but she also took home the $5,000 People’s Choice Award. It’s only the fourth time, since the Telstra Ballet Dancer Award was first presented in 2003, that a dancer has won both. The awards were presented to her by Telstra CEO Andy Penn, with Wood literally gasping when her name was called out for the main Award.

Jade Wood learns she has won the Telstra Ballet Dancer Award 2018. Photograph © Lisa Tomasetti

It was a case of third time lucky for Wood who was nominated in 2014 and 2016. Her fellow nominees this year were Nathan Brook, Corey Herbert, Brodie James, Rina Nemoto and Lucien Xu.

Born in Cairns, Queensland, Wood started dancing at age three at...