Alumni Spotlight: Ashleigh Bennett

Like many young girls, Ashleigh Bennett took children’s ballet classes as an extracurricular hobby. This experience drove her to try other sports and artistic outlets before settling on a decision that would cement her life path.  

“When I was younger, my mum encouraged me and my siblings to try different activities so we could find something we enjoyed or were passionate about. Like most young girls, I started with ballet,” Ashleigh explains.

“But then I stopped ballet to try gymnastics, netball, swimming, drama and singing. When I was about nine years old, I told my mum that I was going to be a ballerina. She must have thought I was crazy, but she’s been my number one supporter ever since.”

At age 10, Ashleigh started dancing at a local dance studio in the Redlands and two years later would be accepted into the Australian Ballet School’s (ABS) Interstate Training Program.

“Accepting my place at ABS was a very difficult decision for my family as they weren’t in a position to move to Melbourne with me, so I went into a homestay arrangement,” Ashleigh says.

“My homestay family were wonderful though, and their dog, Bella helped make Melbourne my home away from home.”

Ashleigh progressed from Level 4 to Level 7 through ABS, before learning Li Cunxin AO was holding auditions in Melbourne for Queensland Ballet Academy's Pre-Professional Program.

“I had not done an audition since I joined ABS, and I had never entered a company audition, so I thought it would make for good experience,” Ashleigh recalls.

Ashleigh’s audition was ultimately successful, and soon she was accepted into the Pre-Professional Program’s 2013 cohort.

“Being a Pre-Professional Program student helped bring back my love of dance,” she says.

“I’ve always felt more comfortable on stage than in a studio, and I had started to forget how good it felt to perform – there’s something unique about the camaraderie among artists, and being on stage again with my fellow Pre-Professionals or as a Company extra showed me that all the blood, sweat and tears were and would be worth it!”

During her time at Queensland Ballet Academy, Ashleigh was chosen to perform with the Company and accompany them on their regional tour. She trained primarily under Academy Director, Christian Tátchev as her main teacher.

“I think it is super important for students to see what daily life in this career is actually like. We were also blessed with incredible teachers who pushed me daily to try for better than what I thought was my best,” she explains.

After two years at Queensland Ballet, Ashleigh moved to Perth to join the West Australian Ballet. In 2018, she moved overseas to take up a position in the Hong Kong Ballet, where she has since completed two seasons.

“I am absolutely loving working overseas! It’s always been a goal of mine to pursue an international career, and Hong Kong is such a wonderful city to live and work in,” she says.

Since starting her career, Ashleigh has performed in classic and contemporary productions, such as Coppelia, Beauty and the Beast, The Great Gatsby, Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, Alice, Giselle, Le Corsaire, Swan Lake, Year of the Rabbit, The Rite of Spring, and Cinderella. She has also toured throughout China and Taiwan.

“My favourite roles that I have performed would be the Queen of the Dryads in Don Quixote, and the Prayer from Coppelia will always be special, as that was my first,” Ashleigh says.

With so much already achieved, what’s next for Ashleigh?

“I would love to dance Nikiya in La Bayadere, Manon or Balanchine’s Diamonds. I love the beauty and sense of freedom I feel when performing Balanchine’s pieces,” she says.

“However, for now I am loving Hong Kong and the Company. My current Artistic Director, Septime Webre is such a visionary and it’s so fun and rewarding to dance his projects. The things I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of in ballet, I would have never thought possible, and I’m super excited to see what the future holds.”

Discover more about pursuing a career in dance, starting with professional ballet training here.

Images by Paul Cameron, Emma Fishwick and LDancePhotography