About Andrew
A graduate of the Australian Ballet School Andrew Lyons has been a member of many of Australia’s leading professional classical ballet companies as well as company’s abroad.
Including; The Australian Ballet, The Royal New Zealand Ballet, PACT Ballet South Africa and The Queensland Ballet.
As a professional dancer Andrew has performed many leading roles in the classical repertoire as well as featured roles in several contemporary works over a 15 year career attaining the rank of Senior Soloist dancer.
( Click here to see an sample of roles and productions )
Andrew has worked with some of the worlds finest and most well respected choreographers, repetiteurs, teachers and ballet company administrators including but not limited to; Patricia Neary (The Balanchine Trust – New York City Ballet), Janek Shergen (The Choo San Goh Trust), Ronald Hynde, Michael Coleman (English National Ballet, The Royal Ballet), Andre Prokovsky, Jane Bourne (The John Cranko Foundation), Eugene Polyakov (The Paris Opera Ballet), Johnny Eliasen (The Royal Danish Ballet), Maina Gielgud (The Australian Ballet), Lucette Aldous, Gary Norman, Marika Besobrasova (The Princess Grace School – Monte Carlo), Magdalena Poppa (The National Ballet of Canada). Ai-gul Gaisina (The Kirov Ballet). Harry Haythorne (The Royal New Zealand Ballet), Dawn Weller (PACT Ballet South Africa). & Harold Collins (The Queensland Ballet).
Andrew retired from life as a professional dancer to pursue a career outside the theatre until his life long passion for dance led him back to he arts to pass on his wealth of knowledge as a teacher, coach, choreographer, adjudicator and mentor. Andrew has been championing the success of these young artists now for over twenty years.
Andrew believes that there is much more involved in preparing a student for an exam, competition, audition or, for the serious student, a career in professional dance than simply learning, practising and rehearsing the steps…
For students that do not want to pursue a carrier in dance but want to dance for the joy of self expression, fun, perseverance, discipline and personal achievement are the goals Andrew sets and nurtures.
For the serious student, Andrew feels passionately that as well as being able to dance at the highest level, they need to be mentored and prepared for the mental, emotional, at times political and sheer physical demands that go hand in hand with dance at a professional level – all the time maintaining and nurturing the love of dance. Andrew is acutely aware that this can be a difficult balance to strike and believes former professional dancers are uniquely placed to impart these vital skills.
Several of Andrew’s students have gone on to be accepted into: The Australian Ballet School ,The Royal Ballet School London, Houston and Queensland Ballets Schools.
Former students now dance professionally with; The Australian Ballet, The Queensland Ballet, English National Ballet and The Royal New Zealand Ballet.
Many of Andrew’s students have been invited to compete in and in many instances win prestigious dance competitions such as; The Prix de Lausanne, The Royal Academy of Dance Junior and Senior scholarships & Solo Seal Award, The McDonalds performing arts challenge, The Alana Haines Memorial Scholarship, Society of Dramatic Arts (SODA) as well as several other major eisteddfods.
Andrew has been a guest teacher for several highly respected dance organisations such as; The Graduate College of Dance Perth, The Cecchetti Society of Australia & Qld National Ballet and has been invited faculty for several dance intensive vacation schools in Australia and abroad.
“I believe that there is much more involved in preparing a student for an exam, competition, audition or, for the serious student, a career in professional dance than simply learning, practising and rehearsing the steps...”
