Festival of Dance

Perth-born David McAllister, a graduate of The Australian Ballet School, joined The Australian Ballet in 1983, becoming Principal Artist in 1989. His illustrious career saw him perform globally with renowned companies, including the Bolshoi Ballet and The National Ballet of Canada. After retiring from the stage in 2001, he became Artistic Director of The Australian Ballet, leading the company for two decades, commissioning major works, expanding international collaborations, and implementing dancer support programs. Honored with numerous awards, including a Companion of the Order of Australia, he has since directed productions worldwide, authored books, and continues to serve in key leadership and advisory roles within the dance community. In 2023, he was the Acting Artistic Director of the Royal New Zealand Ballet and currently holds a similar role as the 2024 and 2025 Guest Artistic Director of West Australian Ballet.

Born in Newcastle, NSW, a student of Tessa Maunder, Lisa joined The Australian Ballet School in 1978 and The Australian Ballet in 1981. Lisa rose swiftly to Soloist in 1983 and Principal Artist in 1986. In 1994 Lisa joined English National Ballet as Senior Principal. Lisa has appeared internationally as guest artist, including with the Boston, Kirov and Birmingham Royal ballet companies. In 2015 following a world-wide search, Lisa was appointed Director of The Australian Ballet School. As Director, Lisa participates as a juror of Youth American Grand Prix in New York and Osaka Japan and has chaired the jury of the Alana Haines Scholarship Awards, held biennially in New Zealand. In 2018 Lisa joined the jury of the prestigious international ballet competition, the Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland as well as the Beijing International Dance Competition and Adeline Genée finals in Hong Kong.