Feature image: Leanne Stojmenov. Photo by Shot by Thom

The newly appointed Artistic Director of The West Australian Ballet, Leanne Stojmenov, can still recall when her seventeen year old self stood in His Majesty’s Theatre a bit scared and amazed that she had just been offered a place in The West Australian Ballet.

It’s highly likely that this young girl, fresh from graduate dance college, would not have envisaged being welcomed back in 2026 as The Artistic Director of that very same company, now housed in Maylands in its pristine edifice.

The Leanne I meet on a wet winter’s day in 2025 has none of that youthful apprehension. She made me think of the sunshine that polymath Clive James said he had in his core-being because he was Australian, despite being a life-long expatriate. He claimed that “The Australian sun reached around the world.”

To judge by the international critical acclaim she received, Leanne certainly took that sunny essence with her during her successful career. She won scholarships to Nederlands Dance Theatre, The Paris Opera Ballet, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo and Dutch National Ballet. She was also a guest artist at international Ballet companies including The Royal Swedish Ballet and Houston Ballet.

She has worked with choreographic luminaries such as Alexei Ratmansky, John Neumeier, and Wayne McGregor and performed works by visionaries including George Balanchine, Jiri Kylian, and Nacho Duato. She was awarded the Australian Dance Award for Most Outstanding Performance by a female dancer for her portrayal of Cinderella in Ratmansky’s Cinderella.

Her first break came whilst still a coryphee, when she replaced the injured Madeleine Eastoes Kitri in Don Quixote, at the Sydney Myer Music Bowl. Scared? No way.

“I was confident. I had been at all the rehearsals and learnt every role. I loved going in early to prepare, craved challenges and wanted to master them.”

One of those challengers came when she was getting dressed for the last part of a dress rehearsal for Cinderella . Ratmansky came into her dressing room and said he had a few changes for her.

“It turned out he had changes for every single step,” she says laughing, “I had to say ‘Alexei I have to get into my costume now.’ I changed as fast as I could and went on stage and did them.”

Always grateful for the chances afforded her, Leanne became one of the founding committee members and then Vice President of Ballet Without Borders which helps raise funds to provide opportunities for children unlikely to have access to dance. She likens that situation to how she might have found herself if her Macedonian father had not emigrated to Australia.

“I went back to where he had lived and it was still so primitive, no running water. I was so lucky he came here.”

As the saying goes, “The harder I work, the luckier I get.”

Leanne’s hard work began, aged three, with her first lesson at Helen Mackay School of Dancing.

“It took just one class. I loved it.”

From there she attended the WA Graduate College of Dance under Terri Charlesworth
and on graduating was advised to go overseas, but found the WAB rather like “a little
Europe” under the Danish born AD Ted Brandsen, who loved putting on innovative works like those of Hans van Manen, Gideon Obarzarnek, and Natalie Weir, so she stayed.

However, always having her eye on The Australian Ballet, she moved East in 2001 to join that company, dancing there for 18 years, 8 as principal artist and marrying fellow AD dancer, Marc Cassidy who, she says she had liked the look of from the start.

They have a young son, Max. Is he a dancer in the making?

“We’re not pushing Max towards dance; but I think he might have the “spark,” she says, a pleased smile escaping from her lips. She tells me Max’s co-ed school had a concert recently in which 100 boys (including Max) danced Hip-Hop on stage.
“100 boys,” says Leanne, “it was wonderful.”

The West Australian Ballet received 38 applicants for the role of Artistic Director;18 from overseas and twenty from Australia. David McAllister, the incumbent AD, endorses Leanne’s appointment.

“I’ve seen how well she interacts with dancers. She has emotional intelligence,
integrity, and is open to learning. She will be fair but she’s not going to spare them. As a dancer herself she never plateaued, was always learning and searching for new ways of thinking, of being creative.”

Under her guidance he sees WAB becoming even more polished with her expert eye for talent.

So what is her big picture future outlook for The WAB?

“I want to use my international connections to help dancers grow. I love the openness of dancers and the way they tackle everything so courageously. I want us to be bold and brave. I love the dramatic highlights, the passion, and the different nationalities of our dancers– it brings so much richness. Dancers need cultural enhancement. My experience in New York, London, dancing at The Coliseum and other famous venues, working with international choreographers and visionaries, was truly enriching.”

At the same time she intends to celebrate our own inspiring and aspirational artists.

“I want to continue our classical heritage; classical works are the things we can rely on to learn from, and see what dancers bring to the roles. And there are audiences for them. I want to make sure we are accessible, visible nationally and globally, and that we are advocates and educators.”

Since the Ballet’s 2026 program is all arranged, Leanne’s sights will be on planning the
season for 2027and for the celebration of the Ballet’s 75 Anniversary.

“I’m looking forward to working alongside Executive Director Lauren Major and sharing the next chapter with our incredible artists and audiences across Western Australia and beyond.”

So, as they say, we’ll have to wait – with more than eager expectations.

One thing she will be doing is encouraging composers to create works for her dancers.

“I love ballets that are the music – like Swan Lake, where the choreography just has to be as it is,” she says, and adds that one of her favourite roles in fact was as Odette in Graeme Murphy’s version of that dramatic and beautiful classical ballet.

Speaking of things beautiful , I’ve been listening to Madame Butterfly as I write this which reminds me -– don’t miss the West Australian Ballet’s World Premiere of Butterfly Effect (choreographed by another amazing Australian dancer Alice Topp) from Friday 5 September at His Majesty’s.

You’ll be able to see how amazing the dancers are under the tutelage of Guest Director David McAllister, Rehearsal Directors Craig Lord-Sole, Reika Sato, and
Leanne Stojmenov (Artistic Director in waiting.)