State Government invests 10 million in Queensland Ballet Academy

Education Minister Kate Jones and Member for Brisbane Central Grace Grace announced today that the partnership of Queensland Ballet and Kelvin Grove State College will provide world class training and education to more aspiring professional ballet dancers of the future under a $10 million expansion plan.

Ms Jones said the State Government’s investment would help transform Queensland Ballet Academy into the program of choice for talented young dancers from throughout Australia and internationally.

"Under the new plan the Academy program will be extended to students from Years 7 to 12 with capacity for up to 200 dance students each year," Ms Jones said.

Queensland Ballet Academy is overseen by our Artistic Director Li Cunxin and Academy Director Christian Tátchev and has provided a pathway into the arts for today’s youth.

Queensland Ballet Academy has provided talented students in years 10, 11 and 12 with intensive dance training, and currently 46 students from all over Australia and internationally are training in the elite ballet program while completing their senior studies face-to-face at Kelvin Grove College.

Minister Jones said the expansion plan involves the construction of a purpose-built Queensland Ballet Academy building at the college to enable the students to complete the majority of their dance classes and academic lessons on the one site.

"The new facility and additional teaching facilities are currently in the design stage with a target opening date during the 2019 school year," Ms Jones said.

Queensland Ballet Artistic Director Li Cunxin said it was an exciting step forward for Queensland Ballet Academy and for the development of the art form of ballet in Queensland and Australia.

"This new facility brings together the academic and artistic training of young aspiring dancers and will provide world class training facilities that will rival those offered globally," Mr Li said.

"We're thrilled to expand our partnership with the Queensland Government and Kelvin Grove State College to deliver an arts training facility that will develop the ballet stars of the future."

Kelvin Grove State College principal Llew Paulger said the college was excited by the opportunity for elite dance students to be a part of the Queensland Ballet Academy whilst completing their studies at the college.

"The Academy will have the capacity to significantly expand its student numbers and the college looks forward to continuing to provide all the students with a diversity of programs to meet the needs of the next generation of professional ballet dancers," Mr Paulger said.

Students will still enter each year of the program through a competitive-audition process and, on completion of their training with the Academy, have the ability to join the ranks of hundreds of students who have graduated and now work in the arts and dance industries throughout the world.