The name Fledgling reflects the heart of the programme.

A fledgling is a young bird learning to fly. It is full of potential, but not yet ready to leave the nest alone. It needs time, strength, guidance, courage and the right conditions before it can take flight.

The programme is also named after Monica and Daniel’s home, a 36-foot ocean-going yawl, SV Fledgling.

Like the dancers in the programme, Fledgling is strong, resilient, beautiful and elegant. She is small, but capable — built to travel further than might first seem possible.

Sailing, like ballet, cannot be rushed. It requires preparation, awareness, discipline, courage, patience and trust in those guiding the journey. It asks you to respect the conditions, understand the craft and build the strength to keep going, even when the path is demanding.

These are the same qualities we hope to develop in every Fledgling Programme student. Below you will see some photos of Fledgling students on SV Fledgling as well as on the historical Fox 2 for our annual whole school sailing trip! We believe we are the only sailing ballet school in the world!

Classical ballet is also a journey of heritage. It is not simply a collection of steps, tricks or achievements, but a historic art form passed from teacher to student through music, correction, discipline, artistry and daily practice.

At Counterpointe, we value this heritage deeply.

The Fledgling Programme asks students to respect the studio as a place of serious work, to approach their training with humility and focus, and to understand that progress in ballet is built through patience, repetition and care. Growth is not always immediate, but with consistency, belief and the right guidance, students begin to find their wings.

Why was the Fledgling Programme created?

Growing up in rural NZ, Monica knew from a young age that she wanted to become a professional ballet dancer. Even then, she understood that this dream would require focus, discipline, sacrifice and clear goals.

That path eventually took her from New Zealand to Australia, France, Denmark, Belgium, Spain, Ukraine and Russia — into the wider world of classical ballet training and professional performance in some of ballet’s most renowned institutions.

Because Monica has lived that journey herself, she understands both the possibility and the difficulty of it. She understands what it means to be a young dancer from New Zealand looking toward the international stage, and she understands the extra challenges that come with distance, limited access to auditions, travel, and knowing which steps to take next.

The Fledgling Programme was created to make that pathway clearer, more supported and more personal.

It exists because there is a real gap in the support available to New Zealand dance students who are trying to transition from serious training into international schools, company-affiliated programmes and eventually professional employment.

For the right student, with the right training, the right guidance and a teacher who believes in them, extraordinary things are possible.