PRINCIPLE JUDGE – DAMIAN SMITH 

The Newcastle Dance Awards – Australia is happy to announce our Principal Judge:
Mr. “DAMIAN SMITH” 
Enjoy his dance journey; 
Click here to watch “CELEBRATING DAMIAN SMITH” 
Damian has performed internationally in more than 200 ballets globally within his 18yrs dancing professionally (since he left the Australian shores at 16yrs of age)
As a Principal Dancer with the San Francisco Ballet and has danced more than 20 collaborations where he originated the role. Smith has worked with World Renowned Choreographer’s such as Christopher Wheeldon, Wayne McGregor, Alexi Ratmansky & Natcho Duato, dancing with the best dancers around the world on the most prestigious stages on four major continents. 
Smith now continues to share his performance skills through his master classes and his own original dance/art, contributing to Museums and Art Collections around the world. This next phase of his career combines his skill and knowledge of dance, music, the visual arts and film to create unique multi-media works across all disciplines. 

His short film installation “Arrellah” created for the San Jose Museum of Art is an exploration of his Wanaruah identity. “I did a lot of research on my family’s line and our culture and it taught me, a lot about who I am.” 

Smith joined the San Francisco Ballet in 1998. He was promoted to soloist in 1998 and principal dancer in 2001. His repertoire includes full-length classics, works by Frederick Ashton, Kenneth MacMillan and George Balanchine, and he created roles with choreographers such as Helgi Tómasson and Christopher Wheeldon. As a guest artist, he had performed in the US, Australia, France, the UK, the Netherlands, Hong Kong and Germany.

In 2014, Smith left the San Francisco Ballet after the company’s appearance in Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris. He performed at several galas afterwards. In 2016, Smith danced his final performance in Sydney. He appeared as a guest artist with The Australian Ballet to dance Wheeldon’s After the Rain pas de deux with Robyn Hendricks.

Smith is currently the artistic director of The National Theatre Ballet school in Melbourne.

We at the Newcastle Dance Awards – Australia are truly blessed to have such a dear friend as Damian Smith to act as our Principal Judge.
It goes to show that dance friends are friends for life, and our experience and training at
The Ann McDonald College in Sydney is truly an unforgettable time in both our lives.
We are excited to be able to bring you this new Scholarship Awards Program for our young dancers in the Hunter Region and Central Coast Areas.