Australian Ballet’s Sharni Spencer promoted to Principal Artist

Congratulations to the radiant Sharni Spencer, who was promoted to Principal Artist after lighting up the stage as Columbine in Australian Ballet’s final performance of Harlequinade. 

“Sharni embodies the delicate balance of star quality and humility, making this promotion to Principal Artist a joy to celebrate,” said Artistic Director David Hallberg. 

Sharni Spencer was born in Lismore NSW and grew up in Tamworth and Newcastle. She began dance classes when she was three years old and studied at Sally Kefts School of Dance and Marie Walton Mahon Dance Academy before joining New Zealand School of Dance. Sharni joined The Australian Ballet at the beginning of 2008 and was promoted to coryphée in 2012. She was the recipient of the Khitercs Hirai Foundation Scholarship in 2012, and used it to spend three months rehearsing and performing Giselle with Dutch National Ballet. She was promoted to soloist in 2017 and to senior artist in 2020, before her promotion to principal artist this year.

Some of her highlighted roles have been The Sugar Plum Fairy and the Snow Fairy in Peter Wright’s The Nutcracker; Alice in Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland^©; Cinderella in Alexei Ratmansky’s Cinderella; Giselle in the Regional Tour of Giselle; and Valencienne in Ronald Hynd’s The Merry Widow.

Sharni was recipient of the Khitercs Hirai Foundation Scholarship in 2012 and a Telstra Ballet Dancer Award nominee in 2013.

To learn more about visit australianballet.com.au