The National Ballet School

This NAIDOC Week, we are proud to celebrate the rich culture, history and continuing story of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

At The National Ballet School, we're proud to celebrate our Artistic Director, Damian Smith. Damian is a proud Wonnarua man of the Upper Hunter Valley and First Nations leader whose vision continues to shape the future of Australian dance.

Join us in celebrating 50 Years Deadly this NAIDOC Week! 🖤💛❤️

Artwork by Zaachariaha Fielding.

The National Theatre Ballet School is deeply saddened by the passing of Audrey (Nicholls) Johnson OAM. Her loss will be felt across the entire ballet community, and her remarkable legacy will continue to inspire generations of dancers and teachers.

Audrey was a highly respected teacher, examiner, tutor, and mentor with the Royal Academy of Dance, whose dedication to ballet education and unwavering commitment to excellence had a profound impact on countless students and teachers throughout Australia and beyond.

We were honoured to recently welcome Audrey to our production of The Nutcracker, where she enjoyed watching her dear friend Franco Leo perform. It was a privilege to have her with us once again.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to Audrey’s family, friends, colleagues, former students, and the wider ballet community.

Rest in peace, Audrey. Your legacy will live on through the many lives you touched and the generations of dancers you inspired.

On the stage ✨

Chookas to all of our wonderful students, staff and parents as we embark on a magical winter wonderland production of The Nutcracker ✨

Tickets are available on the theatre website.

Congratulations to all of our students, we are all so proud of your achievements so far!

Our Expressions of Interest are now open for 2027 Full Time Study ✨

Keep up to date with everything you need to know about auditions, course information, open days and more!

For any queries, visit our website or contact our admin team 💕

One of our favourites from ❣ ❣

We are so excited for The Nutcrack performance which is only a few sleeps away!

Is there anything sweeter than little ballerinas 🥹✨
Join our little Nashies programs now to be apart of the upcoming production of The Nutcracker 🩰🧑‍🩰

Routines for our Nashies programs will be taught in the last two weeks of term. If you would like to turn your dreams into a reality and watch your child perform on one of Melbourne’s most iconic theatre stages, it is not too late! ✨

Please contact our admin team for more information and enrolments. Open to ages 3-5.

Join the National Ballet School and explore the magic of little Nashies 💕

We would like to congratulate Pathways student Claudia Westrup on her incredible performances at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) Finals in Houston, USA this past week.

Claudia was one of only 43 dancers selected to perform in the Junior Finals on Saturday — an outstanding achievement on the international stage.

Her talent and dedication were recognised by prestigious institutions around the world, receiving full-year scholarships to Alberta Ballet School and K Ballet Academy in Japan, as well as partial and short-term scholarships to Berlin State Ballet School, Colorado Ballet School Summer Intensive, Pôle National Supérieur de Danse Rosella Hightower, Next Generation Ballet Summer Intensive, and The Yvonne Chouteau School of Oklahoma City Ballet.

A special thank you to Miss Ezlimar for supporting Claudia throughout her time in Houston and preparing her for this important event.

We are so proud of you, Claudia, and cannot wait to welcome you home soon! ✨

We are so excited to welcome back the incredible Hara Papoulias for a MasterClass in Contemporary Jazz this Friday! ✨💃

Tickets are $25 and places are available to internal and external students!

In Studio 5; Friday 8 May | 6:00 – 7:30pm 💫

Hara is a vibrant dance artist and creative working within the Victorian entertainment industry. She is the Associate Dance Director for the Victorian State Schools Spectacular, where she has choreographed and mentored the next generation of exceptional young performers for over a decade. Her experience spans major commercial brands including Samsonite, Chemist Warehouse, Kmart, 2XU, AAMI and Diesel.

Link in bio for more information!

A couple of weeks ago, we welcomed Nathan Coppen back to the National Ballet School for the 2 Directors, 1 stage workshop.
A full-circle moment — returning to the stage where it all began to share his journey with the next generation.
Grateful for his time, generosity, and inspiration.
💕 ✨