Damian Smith (dancer) facts for kids

Damian Smith is an amazing Australian ballet dancer who used to be a main dancer, called a principal dancer, at the San Francisco Ballet. Now, he helps lead young dancers as the artistic director of The National Ballet school in Melbourne.

About Damian Smith

His Early Life

Damian Smith grew up in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. He is the youngest of six children. When he was 9 years old, he saw a ballet performance and decided he wanted to dance too! He was lucky to get free lessons at the Robyn Hick School of Dancing.

Later, he trained at The McDonald College in Sydney. When he was 16, Damian received a special scholarship. This allowed him to train at the famous School of American Ballet in New York City.

Dancing Around the World

In 1998, Damian Smith joined the San Francisco Ballet. He quickly became a very important dancer there. By 2001, he was promoted to a principal dancer. This is the highest rank a ballet dancer can achieve!

Damian performed in many classic ballets. He also danced in new pieces created by famous choreographers like Helgi Tómasson and Christopher Wheeldon. He traveled all over the world as a guest dancer. He performed in places like the US, Australia, France, the UK, and Germany.

In 2014, Damian left the San Francisco Ballet after a show in Paris. He continued to perform in special ballet shows called galas. His final performance was in Sydney in 2016. He danced with The Australian Ballet in a beautiful piece called After the Rain pas de deux.

New Adventures as a Director

Today, Damian Smith uses his amazing experience to help new dancers. He is the artistic director of The National Ballet school in Melbourne. In this role, he guides and teaches young ballet students.