Global Jury Biography

Robert is a Vaganova Ballet Instructor with qualifications from both the Australian Ballet School and the New Zealand School of Dance. 

 

Born in Sydney with mixed Japanese/English heritage, Robert received his early ballet education in Cecchetti and RAD before focusing on Vaganova. He completed studies in New Zealand and was a guest dancer with the Royal New Zealand Ballet in their 2000 National Tour. He later accepted positions to dance with Singapore Dance Theatre and West Australian Ballet. 

 

Highlights from his dance career include roles such as the Nutcracker Prince, the lead in The Rite of Spring, Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, and many international tours. He performed in works by choreographers such as George Balanchine, Jirí Kylián, Choo San Goh, Glen Tetley, David Dawson, Marie-Claude Pietragalla, John Cranko, Sakiko Oshima, Natalie Weir, Uwe Scholz, and many others. In 2013, he was recognised as a Distinguished Graduate by the New Zealand School of Dance. 

 

In 2015, Robert shifted his focus to teaching with the aim to help nurture the next generation of dancers. He has since taught classes for the Australian Ballet School, Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School, Australian Conservatoire of Ballet, the West Australian Ballet Education Department, and led masterclasses for RAD Genée Dance Challenge (Perth), and Cecchetti Society WA. Robert attained the Graduate Diploma of Elite Dance Instruction from the Australian Ballet School in 2021.