Queensland Ballet has announced that its Artistic Director, Leanne Benjamin, will step down from the position she took up less than a year ago. Assistant Artistic Director Greg Horsman will act in the role with the focus on finalising the 2025 season.

Succeeding Li Cunxin, who served for 11 years at the helm of the company, Benjamin’s return to Queensland in the wake of an international dance career was widely celebrated.

In a statement on the Queensland Ballet website announced that: “Despite the best intentions from both parties, the current economic environment has posed challenges, making it difficult to realise Leanne’s vision and it has been mutually agreed for Leanne to depart Queensland Ballet as Artistic Director on 2 August 2024.”

Leanne Benjamin. Photo © Jason Bell

Assuring donors, partners, audiences, community and Academy families that Queensland Ballet will still have a full complement of productions, engagement programs and training opportunities in 2025, QB Executive Director Dilshani Weerasinghe said:

“Queensland Ballet’s circumstances are such that Leanne has not been able to infuse our 2025 offerings with her own artistic aspirations as much as she was hoping. This has...