David McAllister to retire as popular and lauded artistic director of The Australian Ballet

The Australian Ballet’s popular and respected artistic director David McAllister will retire at the end of next year — his 20th year in the role.

David McAllister, The Australian Ballet’s long-time artistic director, has announced his retirement effective from the end of 2020. Picture: Toby Zerna

The Australian Ballet’s popular and respected artistic director David McAllister will retire at the end of next year — 40 years after he first joined the company’s ballet school.

McAllister’s retirement after 20 years in the top role will be a major shake-up in the ballet world.

But McAllister said he had been thinking about the decision for “a number of years”.

“I feel that the company are dancing so well, and we are in an incredibly strong position, and this was the right time to hand on the reins to the next director,” he told the Daily Telegraph.

“They can then chart the path into our 60th anniversary year.”

McAllister said he would be working on “a very exciting artistic project” in 2021, but couldn’t talk about it yet.

“I leave with a full heart and excitement about both my future and that of TAB,” he said.

McAllister would leave an “enduring legacy”, ballet chairman Craig Dunn said.

“David has taken The Australian Ballet to new heights during his two decades as artistic director,” Dunn said.

A succession planning process was already in place, and McAllister’s “enormous contribution” would be celebrated throughout 2020.

Perth-born McAllister had a stellar career as a dancer with TAB before becoming its artistic director.

He was promoted to principal artist in 1989 and danced many major roles in ballets including The Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, Coppelia, Manon and La Sylphide.

In 1985 McAllister won bronze at the Fifth International Ballet Competition in Moscow.

He made guest appearances with the Bolshoi Ballet, the Kirov Ballet, the Georgian State Ballet, The National Ballet of Canada, Birmingham Royal Ballet and Singapore Dance Theatre.

In 1992 he was part of a Royal Gala performance in London in the presence of the Princess of Wales.

In 2001 he retired from the stage and became the company’s artistic director.

McAllister was “the nicest person in the world”, said Dean Watson, who went through The Australian Ballet School with him.

“Even as a student in the early to mid 1980s, he was so giving,” Watson said.

“He’s a fabulous man.”