Jacqueline Morland Awards 2027

The Royal Academy of Dance is pleased to present the 2027 Jacqueline Morland Award, taking place in Brisbane on the 20th and 21st of March 2027.

The Jacqueline Morland Awards are the pinnacle of RAD student awards in Queensland. Bringing together exceptional young dancers from across Queensland and Northern NSW, this prestigious event is an opportunity to challenge yourself, celebrate your training, and experience performing live on a professional stage before industry-leading adjudicators.

The Awards

Open to Grade 4, Grade 5, Intermediate Foundation, Intermediate, Advanced Foundation, Advanced 1 & 2

All candidates who participate in the Awards, take part in a semi-final open class, that is performed on stage in front of a live audience of family, friends, teachers and the adjudicators.

After the class, the adjudicators select and announce the finalists. Finalists return the following day to perform their chosen RAD exam dance or variation, as a solo, on stage in front of a live audience and the adjudicators.

At the end of the finals the prize recipients for the Jacqueline Morland Awards are announced.

Click here to view the 2027 Jacqueline Morland Information Flyer

Adjudicators

David McAllister AC

Born in Perth, David McAllister joined The Australian Ballet in 1983 and became a principal artist in 1989. He performed leading roles in works including The Sleeping Beauty, Manon and Romeo and Juliet, and won Bronze at the 1985 International Ballet Competition in Moscow. His international guest appearances included the Bolshoi Ballet, Kirov Ballet and The National Ballet of Canada. In 1992, he performed at a Royal Gala in London attended by the Princess of Wales.

After completing a Graduate Diploma in Arts and Entertainment Management, David retired from dancing in 2001 and became Artistic Director of The Australian Ballet. He led the company for two decades, premiering a new production of The Sleeping Beauty in 2015. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2004 and later became a Vice President of the Royal Academy of Dance.

Since 2021, David has pursued freelance work, co-authored SOAR with Amanda Dunn and created Swan Lake for the Finnish National Ballet. In 2021, he was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia and received the Royal Academy of Dance’s Queen’s Coronation Medal and the J.C. Williamson Award. He wrote Ballet Confidential in 2023, served as Acting Artistic Director of the Royal New Zealand Ballet, and was Guest Artistic Director of West Australian Ballet in 2024/25.

Claire Phipps-Males

Claire grew up in Kiama, NSW, and moved to Sydney at 14. She graduated with honours from The Australian Ballet School’s Advanced Diploma course, then joined The Australian Ballet, performing corps and soloist roles under Ross Stretton. She later became a soloist with Queensland Ballet and Ballet Mistress under François Klaus. Throughout her career, Claire has worked with leading artists including Natalia Makarova, David McAllister, Li Cunxin, Graeme Murphy, Stanton Welch and Natalie Weir.

She holds a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and a Diploma of Dance Teaching Studies from the Royal Academy of Dance. Her teaching work includes The Australian Ballet’s education program, Queensland Ballet, Texas Ballet Theater, Sydney Dance Company and Bangarra Dance Theatre. Claire is currently a teacher and coordinator of Queensland Ballet Academy’s pre-professional program. She has also staged and rehearsed a wide range of classical and contemporary repertoire.

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