Australia Dancing - Benjamin, Leanne (1964

Benjamin, Leanne (1964 - )

Bell, Jason: Leanne Benjamin outside Alice Springs, Northern Territory, 2006

Leanne Benjamin was born in Rockhampton, Australia and trained with Valerie Hansen in Queensland before being accepted into the Royal Ballet Upper School at the age of sixteen. While at the School she won the Adeline Genee Gold Medal (1980) and the Prix de Lausanne (1981).

Benjamin joined the Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet in 1983 and was promoted to soloist in 1985 and principal in 1987. In 1988 she joined the London Festival Ballet as principal, and in 1990 joined the Deutsche Opera Ballet in Berlin. Benjamin joined the Royal Ballet in 1992 as first soloist, being promoted to principal by the spring of that season.

Her repertory includes Odette/Odile (Swan lake), Giselle, Sugar Plum Fairy (Nutcracker), Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), Nikiya (La Bayadere), Kitri (Don Quixote), Swanilda (Coppelia), Firebird, Cinderella, Lise (La Fille mal gardee), Titania (The Dream), Manon, Anastasia, Juliet (Romeo and Juliet -Ashton and MacMillan), Mitzi Caspar and Mary Vetsera, Irina, Girl (The Invitation), The Judas Tree, Song of the Earth, Gloria, Requiem, Rhapsody, Elite Syncopations, Les Biches, Symphony in C, Apollo, Danses concertantes, Etudes, Brünnhilde (Béjart's Ring), Carmen, Herman Schmerman and The Leaves Are Fading. During her career, she has created roles in Bintley's Metamorphosis, The Snow Queen and Earth as part of Homage to The Queen, Bruce's Symphony in Three Movements and in Mr Worldly Wise, Two-Part Invention, When We Stop Talking, Masquerade and more recently Wayne McGregor's Qualia, Robert Garland's Spring Rites, Alastair Marriott's Tanglewood, Liam Scarlett's Despite and Wheeldon's DGV.

Benjamin has performed as a guest artist with many major companies including the Australian Ballet with whom she danced the pas de deux from La Fille mal gardee in the 1988 bicentenial celebrations and Giselle in 2001. Her most recent appearance with the flagship company was in the title role of Manon, partnered by Robert Curren as Des Grieux, in 2008. She has also appeared in many television performances including documentaries and live broadcasts. Benjamin was awarded an OBE in 2005.

Research Materials

Ephemera

Other resources

Find more about Benjamin, Leanne in:

Internet - Google
Articles - New York Public Library Dance Collection
Libraries - Libraries Australia