Eight dancers elevated at The Australian Ballet

Eight dancers have been elevated at The Australian Ballet. Artistic Director of The Australian Ballet, David McAllister, made the welcome announcement after wrapping up the sold-out season of Graeme Murphy’s Romeo & Juliet in Melbourne. Reiko Hombo will become a senior artist, Chengwu Guo will be made a soloist and Brett Chynoweth, John-Paul Idaszak, Ako Kondo, Brooke Lockett, Karen Nanasca and Sharni Spencer are moving up to the rank of coryphée. These promotions are effective immediately.

McAllister said that all eight dancers had impressed throughout the year and showed the strength of the company from the ground up. “To promote six dancers from the corps is a testament to their remarkable talents, their passion and dedication,” said McAllister. “It’s a promising sign as we head into our 50th anniversary year in 2012 to have such a wealth of talent to draw on.”

Photo by Jeffrey Lee