West Australian Ballet has marked the opening of Alice Topp’s Macbeth with two promotions, with Brent Carson elevated to Leading Artist and Charles “Charlie” Dashwood to Solo Artist following Friday night’s performance at His Majesty’s Theatre.
The announcement capped an already significant evening for both dancers. Dashwood performed the title role of Macbeth opposite Alexa Tuzil as Lady Macbeth, while Carson appeared as one of the production’s three Influencers alongside Polly Hilton and Asja Petrovski.
For Dashwood, the promotion continues a rapid rise through the company. Born in Toowoomba, he trained in Melbourne with his mother, Andie Dashwood, before entering The Australian Ballet School in 2020. He joined West Australian Ballet as a Young Artist in 2023 and has progressed quickly through the ranks, taking on increasingly substantial roles along the way.
His opening-night performance in Macbeth came at an important point in that progression. Reviewing the production for Dance Australia, Nina Levy described Topp’s contemporary reworking as “clever, compelling and world-class”, with Dashwood stepping into one of the company’s most demanding dramatic roles.
Carson’s promotion to Leading Artist recognises a longer journey with the company and a strong connection to Western Australian training.
He began ballet at three, later entering the specialist classical ballet program at John Curtin College of the Arts before completing a Bachelor of Arts (Dance) at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in 2019. That same year he undertook a professional secondment with West Australian Ballet during Giselle and ALICE (in wonderland).
Carson joined the company in 2020 and was promoted to Artist in 2022. His repertoire has continued to broaden across both classical and contemporary work, and during the current Macbeth season he appears in several roles, including an Influencer, Malcolm and Banquo.
The promotions are a lovely milestone for two dancers who have grown into increasingly prominent members of the company, and come during Leanne Stojmenov’s first year as Artistic Director.
Congratulations to both dancers on their promotions.
Macbeth, a co-production with Royal New Zealand Ballet, continues at His Majesty’s Theatre until 19 September.