The Australian Ballet School students take class, 1966 Photo The Australian Ballet Archives
In 2024, we celebrated the 60th birthday of The Australian Ballet School and our commitment to offering opportunities to the next generation of artists.
Originally published in the 2024 tour program.
Written by
Heather Bloom
Published on
06 June 2025
Since 1964, The Australian Ballet School has been the training ground for generations of dancers. Founded by Margaret Scott and The Australian Ballet's founding Artistic Director, Peggy van Praagh, the School has been a crucial element in The Australian Ballet's continued success and has influenced arts and culture throughout the globe.
1962: The Australian Ballet begins
Peggy van Praagh, who was recommended by The Royal Ballet's then Artistic Director, Ninette de Valois opens The Australian Ballet. Van Praagh had an extensive list of teaching and directing credits, including director of Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet (under de Valois) and dance director of the Edinburgh International Ballet.
Assisted by The Royal Ballet's Rav Powell and Sadler's Wells Ballet School alumni Margaret Scott, van Praagh opened the rehearsal room. Located in a former Presbyterian Ladies' College in East Melbourne, on 3 September 1962, 46 dancers began rehearsing for The Australian Ballet's inaugural season.
1964: A national dance school
Peggy van Praagh's desire for an independent national dance school to provide her newly formed company with aspiring dancers is realised in 1964 as Margaret Scott opens the studios The Australian Ballet School and its first students take their position at the barre. Among those students were Marilyn Rowe, a future principal artist of The Australian Ballet who would become a Director of The Australian Ballet School, and Francis Croese, who would Dance with The Australian Ballet and become its technical director. Over the next 60 years, a list of The Australian Ballet School's alumni would read like a Who's Who of the ballet world.
Graeme Murphy during rehearsals for Nutcracker,The Story of Clara, 1992 Photo Jim McFarlane
1966: Graeme Murphy
In 1966, the 14-year-old Graeme Murphy auditioned for The Australian Ballet School and despite his youth and lack of training was accepted into the full-time program.
"I remember Graeme being in the room. He wasn't showing off. He was very quiet. He didn't fit any of the criteria physically. He was underage—just 14. He was undertrained. But I couldn't take my eyes off him. I don't know what it was. But I put a tick beside his name." - Dame Margaret Scott on Graeme Murphy's 1966 audition.
Murphy would go on to dance with The Australian Ballet, Sadler's Wells Ballet and Les Ballets de Felix Blaska. In 1976, Murphy was appointed Artistic Director of the Sydney Dance Company, a position he held for 31 years.
In 1992, the award-winning choreographer Murphy choreographed Nutcracker- The Story of Clara, and in a full-circle moment cast his mentor, Dame Margaret Scott, in the lead role of Clara the Elder.
Julie da Costa in rehearsal with Marilyn Jones for Giselle (van Praagh), 1980, as part of The Dancers Company's first tour. Photo Branco Gaica
1980: The Dancers Company
In 1980, The Australian Ballet and The Australian Ballet School began a collaboration that would take both organisations across the country, reaching ballet audiences outside of metropolitan cities. The Dancers Company was made up of final-year students from The Australian Ballet School, who rehearsed, toured and performed alongside The Australian Ballet's dancers and worked with renowned choreographers. For the first time, the School's students were given invaluable insights into company life.
On 31 May 1980, the students debuted this partnership in Canberra with a program comprised of Peggy van Praagh's Giselle and a triple bill of Pineapple Poll, Las Hermanas, and Symphony in D. The Dancers Company toured across Australia between May and September 1980, visiting towns and cities in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, Victoria and South Australia.
Over the past 44 years, The Dancers Company has toured with The Australian Ballet to over 70 locations across Australia, reaching over 100,000 audience members. Some of the company's most esteemed artists have performed on these tours, including Li Cunxin, David McAllister, Steven Heathcote, Amber Scott and Lucinda Dunn.
“I don't know what it was. But I put a tick beside his name.”
— Dame Margaret Scott on Graeme Murphy’s 1966 audition
1988: A place to call home
The Australian Ballet School has had several homes over the past 60 years. Starting from humble beginnings in East Melbourne, the School made a cameo appearance in Brunswick Street in Fitzroy before moving to Debney's Paddock in Flemington in 1968. In 1988 it settled into purpose-built studios in Southbank.
In 2024, The Australian Ballet School embodies the spirit of what it means to be an artist in Australia. Hardworking, dedicated and with a unique creative flair, the dancers that have risen through the ranks of the School and joined ballet companies both locally and internationally represent the wealth of talent in Australia. From former Artistic Director David McAllister to the 2011 dux of The Australian Ballet School Hannah O'Neill (who now graces the stage at the Paris Opera Ballet in its highest rank of Etoile), the School's graduates shine and form the backbone of The Australian Ballet from its corps de ballet to its principal artists. The Australian Ballet School has been and continues to be the training ground for acclaimed artists paving the way for the future of ballet in Australia.
The Australian Ballet School's alumni Jill Ogai and Marcus Morelli are promoted to principal artists after a performance of Swan Lake (Woolliams) 2023 Photo Pierre Toussaint
Li Cunxin and Nicole Rhodes with artists of The Australian Ballet School, Don Quixote (Nureyev) 1998 Photo Jim McFarlane
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