Leanne Benjamin to head Qld Ballet

Leanne Benjamin, OBE, AM, has been appointed the new Artistic Director of the Queensland Ballet.

A former principal ballerina with England’s Royal Ballet (RB), she is a celebrated dancer, internationally acclaimed for her superlative technical prowess and artistry. She was the RB's longest serving ballerina, retiring at age 49. She has performed most of the major roles in the classical repertoire and been the muse for numerous choreographers, including Sir Kenneth MacMillan, and was a renown interpreter of his ballets. She has experience, international connections and – what’s more – she’s a Queenslander.

Since retiring as a dancer she has been a coach, adjudicator and motivational speaker, and is presently Vice Chair of the Board of Governors for the Royal Ballet Companies. She wrote her autobiography, Built for Ballet, which reveals her determination and her intelligence.

Said Queensland Ballet Chair, Brett Clark:

“This exciting appointment has been made following an extensive global recruitment search, which attracted unprecedented interest from candidates all around the world. The selection committee comprised of board directors, internal leadership, and external sector experts from Australia and abroad, including Director of The Royal Ballet, Kevin O’Hare CBE. Throughout the process, Leanne stood out with an innate currency of our artform, an uncanny alignment with our strategic cornerstones which have been developed significantly throughout Li’s tenure, and a visceral passion for Queensland."

Benjamin is also a former colleague of the QB's present Executive Director, Dilshani Weerasinghe, having worked with her for eight years at the Royal Opera House.

Benjamin says taking up the role is “an absolute honour”. . .  “I’m mostly excited about meeting and working with the people who make up Queensland Ballet. I am impatient to meet our dancers, our artistic team, our students all those behind the scenes whose talents make everything possible, our audiences and all those supporters and believers without whom dancing just stands still. Ballet is a beautiful coming together of all these contributors and to be a part of this, as an artistic guardian, is a privilege.”

She also paid tribute to outgoing Artistic Director, Li Cunxin.

“Li, Mary and I have been friends for many years, and I want to pay tribute to what Li has built at Queensland Ballet. He has transformed the company, on and off the stage, with truly world-class facilities and an exceptional training Academy which further deepens its impact in our sector and community. I loved my time with Queensland Ballet in 2019, coaching MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet, and cannot wait to strengthen my connection with the dancers and the wider teams.

“It’s an absolute honour to take on this prestigious role, and to be able to return to Queensland. I love Australia, and throughout all my travels it has always remained home."

– KAREN VAN ULZEN