Meet Chia Munford, Level 8 student and vice captain!
Chia grew up in Casuarina in Northern NSW, nurturing her creativity and love of dance. After attending contemporary dance classes at her local studio her teacher suggested that she try ballet and she fell in love instantly. When her family later moved to Queensland, Chia continued to pursue her dance dreams by moving to Melbourne at just 14 to attend The Australian Ballet School. She commenced in Level 4 and boarded at Marilyn Rowe House for nearly four years, gaining invaluable life skills alongside incredible classical training.
During her time at the school Chia has grown from diverse rehearsal and performance experiences, including Stephen Bayne’s Serenata, Prue Lang’s Lyra and La Bayadère, Kingdom of The Shades. Chia is extremely excited for upcoming performances of Lucas Jervies' Concerto and Fight or Flight.
Chia’s highlights include her recent secondment with The Australian Ballet Company for their Signature Works season, an invaluable experience which has aided in her professional growth. As well as her secondment with Sydney Dance Company in 2025 where she gained insight into company life and broadened her perspective on creative possibilities. Chia also really enjoys choreographing and is inspired to express facets of the human experience through music and movement.
Chia enjoyed getting the opportunity to express her creative ideas when creating her Dance Perspectives solos and in Level 7. She was grateful to have been awarded the Lisa Pavane Award for Excellence in Choreography. Her passion for ballet is fuelled by her creative approach to refining her classical technique and her curiosity to explore her physical and artistic potential. When outside of the studio Chia loves to read and cherishes time with her family and friends.
Fun fact: Chia co-founded a bespoke ballet barre business with her family at the age of 12, helping design and ship barres to clients across the globe, including Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Denmark, the USA, Germany, the UK, and Australia!
