Jake Mangakahia
Soloist
Jake Mangakahia
(He/Him)
Jake was born on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. In 2011, at age 18, Jake joined The Australian Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet. In 2013, Jake took time away from performing to work as a volunteer Christian missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, funding the experience himself.
Jake returned to The Australian Ballet in 2016 and was promoted to coryphée in 2017 and then to soloist in 2018. Jake draws inspiration from icons Gene Kelly, Michael Jackson, Fred Astaire, John Neumeier, George Balanchine, Wayne McGregor, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. During his career Jake has developed a strong passion for character roles and has an interest in flamenco, hip-hop, and Kapa Haka - traditional Māori dances his father taught him throughout his childhood.
Repertoire
- Lord Henry in Christopher Wheeldon’s Oscar©, 2024
- ‘Emeralds’ in George Balanchine’s Jewels (UK Tour), 2023
- Alice Topp’s Little Atlas (UK Tour), 2023
- Christopher Wheeldon’s An American in Paris, 2022
- Wayne McGregor’s Dyad 1929, 2020
- Raj/Caterpillar in Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland©, 2019
- Spartacus in Lucas Jervis Spartacus, 2018
- Tim Harbour's Squander and Glory, 2017
- Wayne McGregor’s Infra, 2017
- Alice Topp’s Aurum, 2017
- Vaslav Nijinsky in John Neumeier's Nijinsky, 2016
- Garry Stewart's Monument, 2013
- Stephen Page's Warumuk – In The Dark Night, 2012
- Graeme Murphy’s Beyond Twelve, 2012
Professional accolades
Awards
- Telstra People's Choice Award, 2017, 2012
You may not know
From a young age, Jake developed a passion for visual art, particularly illustration and watercolour painting. Throughout his time with The Australian Ballet, he has created several artistic projects, and he also takes on commissions for both ballet and art enthusiasts.