WA Ballet bids farewell to dancers

West Australian Ballet has announced three of its prominent dancers would be retiring amidst the celebration of the company’s 70^th year.

Principal dancer Matthew Lehmann and demi-soloist dancers Christian Luck and Claire Voss are set to resign at the close of the Swan Lake production on December 11.

West Australian Ballet artistic director Aurélien Scannella said the dancers would be sorely missed.

“Matt, Christian and Claire are three of our most dedicated and celebrated dancers,” Mr Scannella said.

“I congratulate them on each of their incredible careers.”

Mr Lehmann joined West Australian Ballet in 2005 and was appointed principal dancer by Mr Scannella in 2013.

The dancer took on lead roles in many productions including Dracula, The Nutcracker, Peter Pan and most recently, Swan Lake.

“Matt has left a large legacy, leading many of West Australian Ballet’s world-class productions with gravitas and has inspired countless dancers of the next generation,” Mr Scannella said.

Mr Luck graduated from the Australian Ballet School and commenced his career at West Australian Ballet in 2004, undertaking starring roles in La Boheme, Snow White and Coppelia.

Mr Scannella said Mr Luck’s 18 years of dedication to the state ballet company was impressive.

“We are a grateful for the thousands of hours he has put towards this Company, and to leave as our longest serving dancer is a wonderful achievement,” Mr Scannella said.

Ms Voss spent time at Dortmund Ballet, Zurich Ballet and Finnish National Ballet before she moved to West Australian Ballet in 2016.

Mr Scannella said Ms Voss undertook each role with aplomb, with her most notable performances being for starring roles in productions of Giselle and La Sylphide.

“Since joining West Australian Ballet, Claire has epitomised the dedication and hard work that our company stands for,” Mr Scannella said.