Darren Parish PDTD, RAD, RADRTS, DPBMN, NFSH, Dip Arts and Dance (Back to Ballet and Advanced 2)

Darren trained with Jennifer Johnson before studying at The Australian Ballet School. On graduating he enjoyed a successful career of 19 years as a Senior Artist and Soloist with Queensland Ballet, Dortmunder Ballet, Bonner Ballet, Basel Ballet, Gothenburg Ballet, Royal NZ Ballet, English National Ballet, Guest Arena di Verona and Scottish Ballet.

He was nominated as Young Australian of the Year (Arts) 1988, received the Cadbury Arts Award 1991, Male Dancer of the Year (Sweden) 1995, and Dance Critics Award (Sweden) 1996.

As guest Notator for The Royal Ballet 2006-09, he collaborated on their production of Sleeping Beauty and three pieces by Wayne Macgregor; Chroma, Nimbus and Infra. In 2011, Darren was invited to be Ballet Master and Notator for The Australian Ballet Company. He assisted on Graeme Murphy’s Romeo and Juliet and staged Glen Tetley’s Gemini. 2012 saw him stage Ashton’s Les Rendezvous for English National Ballet School and for The Royal Ballet School, in 2015.

Darren has held teaching posts at Elmhurst School of Dance, Trinity Laban and Showa University. Freelance teaching has taken him to ballet companies, vocational dance schools and projects worldwide. Through the Sir Frederick Ashton Trust he is involved with La Fille Mal Gardee and The Dream for the RAD and for a number of years he has been involved with The Fonteyn International Ballet Competition (formerly known as the Genée) and the RAD Dance Challenge in London, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg. Darren has also taught for RAD Summer Schools in London, Oslo, Italy and China, as well as for other notable dance organisations including the British Ballet Organisation (BBO), Cecchetti Society, Imperial Society for Teachers of Dance (ISTD), Danceworks and Pineapple to name a few.

Darren also co-founder 123 Move, in 2016 and became an honorary member of BBO in 2017.

Between 2018 and 2022 Darren was a Trustee of The Royal Academy of Dance and is also a member of the Benesh Movement Notation Working Group.