1. Leanne Benjamin was appointed artistic director at the Queensland Ballet in 2024.
13 Facts About Leanne Benjamin
1. 2.
Leanne Benjamin stepped down from the position on 2 August 2024.
3.
Leanne Benjamin began ballet lessons at age three at a local dance school, and had attended The Range Convent and High School.
4.
In 1983, at age 18, Leanne Benjamin joined the Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet, and became a principal dancer in 1987.
5.
Leanne Benjamin was one of the last dancers to work with MacMillan, Royal Ballet founder Ninette de Valois and founding choreographer Frederick Ashton.
6.
Leanne Benjamin had worked with other choreographers such as Christopher Wheeldon and Wayne McGregor.
7.
Leanne Benjamin has created roles in Bintley's Metamorphosis, The Snow Queen and Earth as part of Homage to The Queen, Bruce's Symphony in Three Movements and in Mr Worldly Wise, Two-Part Invention, When We Stop Talking, Masquerade and most recently Wayne McGregor's Qualia, "Infra", and "Limen", Robert Garland's Spring Rites, Alastair Marriott's Tanglewood, Liam Scarlett's Despite and Wheeldon's DGV.
8.
In honour of her career with The Royal Ballet, the Leanne Benjamin Awards were launched at a public masterclass at The Royal Ballet School on 12 June 2014.
9.
The awards were created and will be administered by The Tait Memorial Trust, of which Leanne Benjamin is a Patron.
10.
In January 2014, Leanne Benjamin was awarded the Critics' Circle de Valois award for outstanding achievement.
11.
Leanne Benjamin had studied design and work as an interior designer.
12.
In 2001, Leanne Benjamin married Tobias Round, a theatre producer and son of Georgina Parkinson.
13.
Ten years later at the 2015 Australia Day Honours, Leanne Benjamin was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the performing arts, particularly ballet, as a dancer and role model.