Bronte Mollison graduated as Dux of The Australian Ballet School in 2025 before joining The Australian Ballet’s Corps de Ballet in 2026.
What was the most significant creative or artistic challenge you faced during your studies, and how did you navigate it? What did you learn from that experience?
This idea of becoming your own dancer, especially in Level 8, was something Megan Connelly (Artistic Director & Head of School) encouraged us to explore. Initially I struggled with this because, for the previous three years, we had all been in the same cohort, training the same way. I spent so much time trying to figure out what type of dancer I was and how I could be individualistic while still applying everything I was being taught.
Along the way, I realised that I had to stop dissecting it in my mind and, as simple as it sounds, just dance. Going back to the root of dancing to music simply because it feels good allowed me to enjoy myself more and explore my artistic capabilities more freely.
How did the community at ABS (teachers, peers) shape your experience and growth as a dancer and individual?
While the training was incredible and the lessons learned were invaluable, I would do those three years all over again if it meant I could spend more time with the people who made it so special. Going to a full-time ballet school is a niche experience, but it creates one of the strongest bonds you can have with friends, who become your family.
In our end-of-year performance, we performed Lucas Jervies’ Parade, which finished with a tableau of the entire school on stage, completely natural, chatting, and simply being ourselves. During what was already an emotional time, looking around and seeing our cohort together for the final time, doing what we loved and feeling so connected to one another, really pinpointed what made it so hard to say goodbye. At the same time, it made me feel so proud of, and excited for, each other as our individual journeys began.
Dancer Instagram: Bronte Mollison
Photographers: S. Konstantinov, E. Baxter