Directors
Christine Walsh AM
Director
Classical Ballet Lecturer, Author and Examiner
A Principal Dancer in Australia and internationally, Christine Walsh's professional ballet and teaching career has spanned over 40 years. Trained originally in Sydney, Christine Walsh graduated from the Australian Ballet School and rose to the rank of Principal Artist with the Australian Ballet where she danced all the major Principal roles in the ballets Swan Lake, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, La Sylphide, Romeo and Juliet, Onegin, La Fille Mal Gardee, Coppelia, Don Qiuxote and many others. Christine also danced Principal roles with Roland Petit Ballet de Marseille including Carmen and Coppelia.
Christine's invitations to dance internationally were numerous, including dancing Giselle with the Kirov Ballet in St. Petersburg, dancing as guest artist for the 40th Anniversary of UNESCO in Moscow, and dancing the Principal role in The Sleeping Beauty for the Royal Bicentennial Gala performance for Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II in London.
Since retiring from her professional dancing career in 1989, Christine has concentrated her efforts on teaching, coaching, choreographing and directing productions with her theatrical production company Christine Walsh Enterprises Pty. Ltd. and her classical ballet school The Australian Conservatoire of Ballet. Christine has authored her own classical ballet training and assessment program based on the Russian Vaganova method and she now teaches and examines this program in Australia, Japan, India, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and the Philippines. Christine's entrepreneurial skills have been demonstrated in the many events she has organized with partner Ricardo Ella, such as the tour to the Philippines of The Australian Stars of Ballet and the West Australian Ballet, and the Australian tour of Ballet Philippines in cooperation with the Philippine Embassy. Christine has forged international cultural ties through her work with Austrade in Japan and the Australian Embassy in the Philippines.
Christine has graduated with a Certificate in Education in the Visual and Performing Arts through the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and The Australian Ballet School.
In 1991, Christine Walsh was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia in recognition of her service to ballet.
Christine directs the school's annual full-length productions, coaches in her school's comprehensive program, examines and gives teaching seminars throughout Australia and internationally.
Ricardo Ella
Managing Director, Operations
Classical Ballet and Pas De Deux Lecturer
A former actor, stuntman, and Martial Arts instructor, Philippine born Ricardo Ella began ballet training at the age of 19 under Vella C. Damian School of Ballet and 3 years later received a private company scholarship, choosing to study at the Australian Ballet School. Before beginning his professional ballet career, he established a footwear manufacturing company and later a computer hire and secretarial business.
Ricardo's dancing career has been with the Royal New Zealand Ballet (Principal Artist) and The Australian Ballet (Coryphee). He danced principal roles in Swan Lake, Giselle, The Nutcracker, Garth Welch's Othello, Graeme Murphy's Orpheus, Andre Prokovsky's Bacchus and Ariadne and Jiri Kylian's Transfigured Night. He has also danced solo roles in The Three Musketeers, Spartacus and many other ballets. Ricardo was the Principal male dancer in the original Australian musical production of Sir Andrew Lloyd Weber's The Phantom of the Opera.
Since 1989, Ricardo's entrepreneurial skills have been demonstrated with his co-founding of Onstage Artists and Christine Walsh Enterprises Pty. Ltd. theatre production companies with Christine Walsh. In 1990, Onstage Artists organised a tour of The Australian Stars of Ballet and the West Australian Ballet to the Philippines, and in 1991, with Christine Walsh formed the Christine Walsh Dance Centre now The Australian Conservatoire of Ballet and its classical ballet training and examination program Ballet Conservatoire. Ricardo has also produced the vocal concert From Baroque to Broadway and co-ordinated a charity concert Phantom Melodies featuring singers trom Phantom of the Opera where proceeds went to Camp Quality for children with cancer and The Salvation Army.
In 1995, Ricardo co-produced The Australian Tour of Ballet Philippines in co-operation with The Embassy of the Philippines, as part of a cultural exchange programme and bilateral agreement with the Cultural Centre of the Philippines.
Simon Crowther
(Dip. TAS; Dip Bus. FLM)
RTO Administrator
A former Senior Soloist classical ballet dancer with PACT Ballet and Senior Guest Artist with PACT Contemporary Dance Company in South Africa; Simon was also granted the opportunity to guide individuals toward achieving their ultimate artistic expression in his role as Rehearsal Director/Assistant Repetiteur whilst with those companies.
Mr. Crowther has been invited to lecture at numerous schools & ballet companies in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa to great acclaim.
Simon has collaborated with the ACB in a variety of roles; initially as a Classical, Repertoire and Pas de Deux Lecturer; then appearing in a number of the ACB's Productions and currently as the business advisor.
Mr. Crowther's experience in Vocation and Education Training commenced when he was engaged to manage a commercial RTO where he established a number of relationships with third party organisations to assist in the overall delivery & management of those training operations.
Simon runs his own consultancy working as an analyst commercially.
Vella C. Damian ACBF
Emeritus of Ballet Conservatoire
A most distinguished ballet dancer and dance educator and Fellow of The Australian Conservatoire of Ballet, Vella C. Damian was responsible for bringing the teacher training program Australian Conservatoire of Ballet (now Ballet Conservatoire) to the Philippines in 1995 and was Philippine Coordinator for 23 years. She is currently a Lecturer of Ballet Conservatoire.
A Director of her ballet school, Vella C. Damian School of Ballet with several branches in Manila, Vella studied in New York schools of Robert Joffrey and George Balanchine. She was a Principal Artist of The Hariraya Ballet Company and Principal Artist of Dance Concert Company which she co-founded with Eric V. Cruz.
Vella is the co-author of the National Ballet Syllabus in the Philippines with Felicitas Radaic and Basilio Villaruz. She is also co-founder and President of the Association of Ballet Academies of the Philippines and Philippine Association for the Advancement of Dance Studies.
In 1982, Vella Damian’s contribution to dance resulted in her being the recipient of University of Santo Tomas Outstanding Alumnae Award for her service to ballet in the Philippines and 1983, she was placed on the Roll of Honor of UST Outstanding Alumnae in the Field of Arts and Culture. In 2001, Vella was awarded the City of Manila Parangal Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan sa Larangan ng Sayaw, in 2015, the Outstanding Dance Mentor, World Dance Alliance and in 2018, Lifetime Achievement in the World of Dance – Association of Ballet Academies of the Philippines.
Australian Conservatoire of Ballet Lecturers
Jacqui Stratton-Smith ACBA
Senior and Junior School Classical Ballet Lecturer
Jacqui was born in Adelaide and studied ballet from a young age. She began her professional training at the age of 16 when she was awarded a scholarship to study ballet in Toronto, Canada. Following this Jacqui attended the Royal Ballet School where she completed her final 3 years of training, graduating in 1990.
Jacqui danced first with the Kieler Ballett and then with the Staatsballett in Berlin. During her career she danced principal, solo, and corps de ballet roles in many ballets including, Sleeping Beauty, Raymonda, Nutcracker, the Taming of the Shrew, Coppelia, Don Quixote, Giselle and Swan Lake together with a number of Balanchine works. She worked alongside artists such as Patrice Bart, Pierre Lacotte, Francois Claus and Vladimir Malakhov, and danced in original productions by contemporary choreographers Maurice Béjart and Roland Petit.
Since returning to Australia Jacqui has taught as a freelance ballet instructor teaching in primary, secondary and tertiary settings, at private dance schools, summer schools, dance awards and other special events. In recent years Jacqui has been a guest artist with the Australian Ballet performing in Stephen Baynes’ Swan Lake.
Jacqui is a qualified teacher of the Ballet Conservatoire syllabus. She also has a Professional Dancers’ Postgraduate Teaching Certificate from the RAD and is currently training to be an RAD Examiner. She is a Licentiate Teacher with the AICD and has a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
Sakura Shimizu ACBA
Senior and Junior School Classical Ballet Lecturer
Born in Yokohama, Japan, Sakura started training at Suzuki Classic Ballet Academy. In 1990 and 1991 she won 2nd prize in the Saitama All Japan Dance Competition. In 1992 she was a semifinalist in the Prix de Lausanne and entered the Hamburg Ballet School, graduating in 1994.
Upon graduation Sakura joined the Hamburg Ballet, under the direction of John Neumeier, where she danced all the repertoire as well as new ballets Nijinsky, Messiah and Odyssey by John Neumeier, Sleeping Beauty by Mats Ek and 8 by Christopher Wheeldon.
In 2002 Sakura was a guest artist with the Singapore Dance Theatre and had a leading role acting and dancing for Tanz Theater in Klingt Meine Linde by Tina Seeland In Kampnagel Hamburg. In June 2002 Sakura joined Singapore Dance Theatre, under the direction of Goh Soo Khim, and danced a large variety of works by choreographers such as Jiri Kylian, Stanton Welch, Ohad Naharin, Thierry Malandin, David Dawson, Jorma Elo, Boi Sakti, Sakiko Oshima, Marie-Claude Pietragalla and Graham Lustig. She also danced many classical roles and choreographed a ballet for the company.
Since arriving in Melbourne Sakura has performed with Redspan Contemporary Dance Company, Australian Conservatoire of Ballet and Melbourne Ballet Company.
Sakura started teaching adult 'Absolute Beginner' classes in 2009 in Singapore. Since becoming director of City Dance Centre in 2011, she has expanded her passion for teaching ballet to adults, from absolute beginners to professionals. Sakura also taught both classical and contemporary ballet at Australian Conservatoire of Ballet, Gay Wightman School of Ballet from 2010 to 2012.
As well as directing City Dance Centre, Sakura also teaches Melbourne audition class for the Queensland Ballet under the direction of Li Cunxin since 2017.
Sakura is a qualified teacher of Ballet Conservatoire syllabus.
Jiayin Du
Senior School Classical Ballet Lecturer
Jiayin Du was born in Liaoning Province in China beginning his dance training with School of Dance affiliated to Shenyang Conservatorium of Music. His many awards include the Silver Medal in Paris competition in 1996, Gold Medals in China National Ballet Competition and Tokyo Asia Pacific International Ballet Competition in 1997.
After receiving a scholarship, Jiayin came to study at the Australian Ballet School in 1999 graduating with honours and joining the Australian Ballet Company in 2000 where he danced for eleven years performing many soloist and leading roles in major classical ballets such as Don Quixote, Coppelia, La Bayadere, La Sylphide, Giselle, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, The Sleeping Beauty, Spartacus, Raymonda, Merry Widow, La Fille Mal Gardee, Manon and Three Musketeers, with highlights including showpiece pas de deux such as Flower Festival of Genzano, La Favorita, Paquita, Flames of Paris and Grand Pas Classique. His contemporary repertoire included William Forsythe’s The Vertiginious Thrill of Exactitude, Jiri, Kylian’s Stepping Stones, Stephen Baynes’ Beyond Bach, Balanchine’s Four Temperaments, Nicholai Fontain’s Almost Tango, Stanton Welch’s Velocity, Krzysztof Pastor’s Symphonie Fantastique, Nacho Duato in Por Vos Muero and Natalie Weir’s Mirror, Mirror, Symphony in C, Voluntaries, Suite en Blanc, Etudes and Les Presages.
Jiayin performed as Principal Guest Artist for the Australian Ballet’s Dancer’s Company, Liaoning Ballet of China Gala Performance and the Australian Conservatoire of Ballet.
Following Jiayin’s retirement from the stage in 2011, his focus has been on ballet education establishing his own dance academy and from 2015 to 2022 Jiayin was classical ballet teacher at the Australian Ballet School. In 2019, Jiayin completed his Graduate Diploma of Elite Dance Instruction.
Sarah Clisby ACBA
Junior School Classical Ballet Lecturer
Graduate of the Australian Conservatoire of Ballet’s Advanced Diploma of Dance, Sarah regularly performed with the Australian Opera and taught at various ballet schools in Adelaide. Sarah is a qualified teacher of Ballet Conservatoire training program and is currently also administrative assistant of the Australian Conservatoire of Ballet.
Guest Teachers: Adrian Dimitrievitch and Simon Hoy
Ballet Conservatoire Lecturers and International Examiners
Valmai Roberts ACBE
Former member of the Australian Ballet, soloist of Joffrey Ballet and classical ballet lecturer of NYU School of the Arts, American Ballet Theatre, Ballet Hispanico in New York, the Victorian College of the Arts in Australia, and London Contemporary School of Dance and Richard Alston Dance Company in Great Britain.
Valmai is Ballet Conservatoire Accredited Lecturer and International Examiner.
Amanda Bollinger ACBE
Amanda graduated from the Berlin State Ballet School in Germany, where she studied the Vaganova method of classical ballet. She was former member of Metropol Theatre Berlin, was principal artist with the Space Dream Musical Theatre, the Ballett-Compagnie Deutschland and Disney’s multi-million Euro production of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”.
Amanda is the Director of Amanda Bollinger Dance Academy and Ballet Conservatoire Accredited Lecturer and International Examiner.
Chiara Ferri ACBE
Formerly trained under Russian teacher Marika Besobrasova in Monte Carlo and former member of Stadttheater Bern, English National Ballet and Tivoli Ballet in Copenhagen. Chiara was Ballet Mistress for Royal New Zealand Ballet’s Angelina Ballerina tour.
Chiara is Ballet Conservatoire Accredited Lecturer and International Examiner.
Nina Anonas ACBE
Former soloist at Ballet Philippines, principal dancer at the Manila Metropolis Ballet and the Junge Ballett Compagnie, Frankfurt; and featured artist at Ballett Frankfurt.
Nina is Ballet Conservatoire Accredited Lecturer and International Examiner. She is currently Chairman of the De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde, School of Design and Arts’ Bachelor of Performing Arts in Dance program, having authored its newly revamped syllabus on dance pedagogy. She holds a Master of Arts in Education and is completing her book on the embodied learning of dance of Gen Z and Alpha beginning ballet students.
Nina is Ballet Conservatoire Accredited Lecturer and International Examiner.
Ai Sato ACBA
Fitness and Physical Health Lecturer
Founder and CEO of Dancer's Life Support.com, graduate of the Australian Conservatoire of Ballet's Diploma of Dance and registered teacher of Ballet Conservatoire training program. Ai has dedicated herself to the education of teachers, students and parents of dancers in anatomy, injury prevention and safe dance practices.
Ai is also the author of three published books all providing a deep dive into anatomy and dance specific exercises and is a regular contributor to one of Japan's biggest industry publications- Clara Magazine.