History
The Australian Ballet School, the school of The Australian Ballet, is the national centre for excellence in classical dance training in Australia.
The Australian Ballet School was established just fifteen months after The Australian Ballet gave its first performance at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Sydney in 1962. The School was born of the great vision of The Australian Ballet’s founding Artistic Director, Dame Peggy van Praagh who identified the need to establish a national school in which to train dancers in the style required by The Australian Ballet.
Dame Margaret Scott AC, DBE was appointed as the School’s Founding Director in 1964. Since her retirement in 1989 the School has seen only two subsequent Directors, Gailene Stock AM (1990-1998), and Marilyn Rowe OBE (1999-current).
Working in close liaison in the purpose-built facilities of The Australian Ballet Centre located in Melbourne’s vibrant arts precinct, the School and Company continue to share the same long term goal: a truly unique Australian Ballet with a distinctive style of its own. Nowhere, but in the school of the national company, can a unique company style be fostered and developed.
Most dancers in The Australian Ballet are graduates of The Australian Ballet School, including Artistic Director, David McAllister AM. Graduates can also be found as principals and soloists in major companies throughout the world. Such is the standard of excellence that within six months of graduating, 90% of students gain contracts. This is one of the highest employment rates of any tertiary institution in Australia.
The influence of the School permeates many dance related areas. For instance, choreographic talent has been nurtured over the years with graduates such as Graeme Murphy AM, Meryl Tankard, Stephen Baynes, Gideon Obarzanek, Leigh Warren, Adrian Burnett and Lucas Jervies all having distinguished international reputations. The creative influence of the School continues today with graduates, Tim Harbour, Paul Knobloch, Timothy Brown, Wakako Asano, David Jonathan, Reed Luplau and Tim O’Donnell all in the process of establishing their choreographic credentials. The School is also fortunate to have on its staff such respected choreographers as Leigh Rowles and Margaret Wilson.
In 2009 The Australian Ballet School proudly celebrated 45 years of excellence in creating the future of dance, and is now looking towards 50 years in 2014!
