The Australian Ballet School
Address
2 Kavanagh Street

Southbank, Melbourne
,
Victoria
,
3006

Australia
Information
School typePrivate
Established1964 (age 58–59)
FounderDame Margaret Scott
StatusActive
SpecialistVocational Classical Ballet
DirectorLisa Pavane
Dip ABS, VGCEBI
Executive DirectorKirsty Ritchie
GenderCo-educational
Feeder toThe Australian Ballet
Websitewww.australianballetschool.com.au

The Australian Ballet School is the premier ballet training facility in Australia, located in Melbourne.

History

The Australian Ballet School was founded in 1964 as the primary training facility for The Australian Ballet by Dame Margaret Scott AC DBE.[1]

Location

It is part of the Primrose Potter Australian Ballet Centre, which is located in the Melbourne Arts Precinct, Southbank in Melbourne, Victoria.

Governance and funding

The school is a registered charity, with about a third of its income provided by the Australian Government, about a third by tuition fees, and the rest via philanthropy, corporate support and box office.[1] It is one of eight "national elite training organisations" funded by the Office for the Arts as part of its or ARTS8 (Australian Roundtable for Arts Training Excellence) group of colleges.[2][1]

Education

The Australian Ballet School is a registered training organisation.[1] The Australian Ballet company draws 95% of its dancers from the school, and many graduates dance as principals and soloists around the world.

Offered are:

  • an eight-year course for talented students.
  • After School Program (Levels 1–3), for students generally between 10 and 13 years of age. Classes take place after school hours and on Saturdays.
  • Interstate/International Training Program (Levels 1–4), for students generally between 8 and 14 years of age who are gifted in dance but live interstate or internationally. There are limited spots in Level four for talented students that are not yet ready to leave home.
  • Full-Time Program (Levels 4–8), for students generally between 13 and 19 years of age. Level 4 is taken in conjunction with academic year 9 at the nearby Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School (VCASS). For the younger students, approximately half the day consists of dance classes and the other half consists of academic classes, Monday to Friday with half a day of dance classes on Saturday.

Audition process

Entry into The Australian Ballet School's renowned training programs require audition. The School is committed to playing its role in increasing diversity in dance and welcomes auditions from dancers of all cultures and orientations. All dancers are given equal consideration. Auditions are held in person in major cities across Australia each year (National Audition Tour). Aspiring students can also audition online.

Annual Tour with The Australian Ballet

In 1980 The Australian Ballet first offered the chance to experience life as a professional dancer on a national tour to Graduate Year (Level 8) students of The Australian Ballet School. Four decades on, this pivotal relationship and annual tradition continues, providing opportunities for future generations of artists.

Boarding Program

Marilyn Rowe House is a home away from home for students of The Australian Ballet School aged between 13 and 18 who have come from all across Australia and overseas. It is located on a block of 2,025 sqm, hosting a two-storey house with a wing attached at the rear. The location is ideal, with both tram and train within minutes. Parklands across the road provide plenty of opportunity for recreation.

Marilyn Rowe House is named after the School’s former Director, Marilyn Rowe AM OBE. Marilyn Rowe was one of the first students accepted into The Australian Ballet School’s initial two year course, the first Prima Ballerina produced by the School and the first graduate to become its Director (1999-2014).

Marilyn Rowe House, the purpose built boarding facility of the School, was secured by significant philanthropic support and meticulously planned, over many years, to provide a modern boarding program to match the School’s world class vocational dance training.

Directors

Notable alumni

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "About Us". The Australian Ballet School. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  2. ↑ "National training organisations in the performing arts". Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts. Office for the Arts. Australian Government. Archived from the original on 27 October 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2022.

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