Li Cunxin’s successor Leanne Benjamin to finish as Qld Ballet’s artistic director

Queensland Ballet’s newly minted artistic director Leanne Benjamin will leave the job on Friday just five months after she took over from the legendary Li Cunxin.

Leanne Benjamin will finish as Queensland Ballet’s artistic diretor on Friday. Picture: David Kelly

In one of the arts scene’s most stunning exits, Queensland Ballet’s newly minted artistic director Leanne Benjamin will leave the job on Friday, a little over five months after she started.

Taking over from the legendary Li Cunxin in February this year, Rockhampton-born Ms Benjamin always had big shoes to fill.

However, disagreements over finances and the direction for the ballet’s highly anticipated 2025 season - which would have been Ms Benjamin’s solo debut - have fuelled her swift departure.

Li Cunxin, famously known as Mao’s Last Dancer, was in the chair for 11 years.

Ms Benjamin will return to the UK where she was a principal dancer for several decades.

Li Cunxin, also known as Mao’s Last Dancer, is Queensland Ballet’s former artistic director. Picture: Richard Walker

In a statement released at 3pm on Wednesday, Queensland Ballet said the return after 43 years of Ms Benjamin, only the ballet’s sixth artistic director, was “much anticipated and widely celebrated”.

“Over the past six months, Leanne has been getting to know the dancers, wider team, government stakeholders, collaborators, donors, and corporate partners who make up the Queensland Ballet family,” it said.

“She has also been engaging her networks across the world stage, curating the first articulation of her artistic vision: Queensland Ballet’s 2025 Artistic Season.

“Despite the best intentions from both parties, the current economic environment has posed challenges, making it difficult to realise Leanne’s vision and it has been mutually agreed for Leanne to depart Queensland Ballet on August 2.”

The company’s executive director Dilshani Weerasinghe said: “Queensland Ballet’s circumstances are such that Leanne has not been able to infuse our 2025 offerings with her own artistic aspirations as much as she was hoping.

“This has been understandably dispiriting for Leanne and, although she might not be sitting with us as our artistic director in 2025, we will most certainly feel her legacy in Queensland Ballet’s investment in Australian and female voices, among other elements that she has inspired.”

Leanne Benjamin. Picture: Ella Pellegrini

Ms Weerasinghe reassured donors, partners, audiences, community and academy families that Queensland Ballet would still have a full complement of productions, engagement programs and training opportunities next year. “Our 2025 Season productions and offerings are artistically vibrant in true Queensland Ballet style, with more exciting works for our audiences, including our youngest fans, as well as innovative use of spaces, and there will be new adventures for our Academy and Van Norton Li Community Health Institute,” she said.

Ms Weerasinghe said the company “has no option but to work within its financial constraints”.

“Although Queensland Ballet’s management team has workshopped several scenarios for the 2025 Season, it is evident that the company needs to lean heavily into its existing repertory in the near future, while also in-housing more activity into our newly revitalised home, the Thomas Dixon Centre,” she said.

Leanne Benjamin during her time in the Royal Ballet. Picture: Robbie Jack

Ms Benjamin said in a statement: “Ultimately, as we have worked together to design a vibrant season for 2025, it has become very clear that my artistic aspirations for our company, including the opportunity to engage diverse choreographic voices, both international and Australian, and venture outside of the traditional theatre environment with immersive opportunities, is not immediately possible within the funding constraints faced by the company.

“Queensland and Queensland Ballet will always have a very special place in my heart, and I look forward to our continued relationship. I have had a wonderful time getting to know the amazing dancers, staff, stakeholders, audiences, and supporters of Queensland Ballet over the past six months, and I feel privileged to have led this wonderful company.”

Queensland Ballet chair, Brett Clark, said: “Although Leanne has only been with us for a short time, we are deeply grateful for her invaluable contribution including her artistic leadership, creativity, positivity, and the ideas she has brought to the company over the past six months, and we hope to welcome her back to enjoy some of the 2025 Season with which she is so familiar.”

Greg Horsman will be acting artistic director as the Queensland Ballet team comes together to finalise Season 2025, due to be launched in October.

Mr Horsman was promoted to assistant artistic director last year.