Kim Walker

Kim Walker

Chief Executive Officer
NAISDA Dance College

Kim Walker am is a dancer, choreographer, director and arts leader. A member of NAISDA’s first student cohort in 1976, he graduated in 1979 before joining Sydney Dance Company, becoming a principal dancer in 1982. His career spans choreography for theatre, opera, film and television, and artistic leadership of the Flying Fruit Fly Circus. As NAISDA’s CEO since 2008, Kim has strengthened training, artistic partnerships, facilities and professional career pathways for students. A Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award recipient, he will step down in December 2026 and continue his connection with NAISDA as an ambassador for the following twelve months.

Photo: Syl Marie.

Dr Rachael Swain

Dr Rachael Swain

Co-artistic Director
Marrugeku

Dr Rachael Swain is a director, dramaturg and performance researcher of Scottish/Irish/English descent. Born on the land of the Ngāi Tahu, Aotearoa, she works between Gadigal (Sydney) and Yawuru buru (north Western Australia). She is a founder and co-artistic director of Marrugeku, together with long-term collaborator Yawuru/Bardi choreographer Dalisa Pigram. Rachael specialises in co-facilitating intercultural and intersectional devising methodologies, collaborative concept development and directing transdisciplinary processes to produce Marrugeku’s award winning productions. She currently holds a Future Fellowship (part time) at UNSW where she is researching visual dramaturgies and their role in cultural diplomacy. Rachael is the author of Dance in Contested Land— new intercultural dramaturgies (2020).

Kris Nelson

Kris Nelson

CEO & Festival Director
Sydney Festival

Following six-and-a-half years as Artistic Director and CEO at the prestigious London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT) and over a decade spent living and working in the UK and Ireland, Kris Nelson relocated to Sydney and delivered his first program as Festival Director in January 2026. Originally from Saskatoon in Canada, Nelson has spent over a decade working internationally in arts and cultural events and is no stranger to making his mark on a new city through his bold curation. While cutting his teeth working as a freelance curator and producer on festivals across Canada including Vancouver’s PuSh International Performing Arts Festival and the roving Magnetic North Theatre Festival, Nelson also championed the works of experimental Canadian theatre and dance companies via his own Montréal-based touring agency, Antonym Productions. Nelson later relocated to Ireland where he served as Festival Director of the Dublin Fringe Festival from 2013 to 2017, Ireland’s largest multi-disciplinary arts festival and one of the few curated fringe events in the world.

Amy Hollingsworth

Amy Hollingsworth

Artistic Director and CEO
Australasian Dance Collective

Photo: David Kelly.

Amy Hollingsworth is the Artistic Director and CEO of Australasian Dance Collective, where she has led the company since January 2019. A multi-award-winning dancer, choreographer and director, Amy has enjoyed an acclaimed international career spanning classical ballet and contemporary dance. Described by the UK Observer as one of ‘the most compelling and intelligent dancers on the world stage’, her career encompasses performance, artistic leadership and collaborations across dance, film, music, visual arts and emerging technologies. A passionate advocate for artistic innovation and interdisciplinary practice, Amy is also a sought-after keynote speaker, industry mentor and creative consultant with a deep interest in cybernetics.

Lucy Guerin

Lucy Guerin

Artistic Director and CEO
Lucy Guerin Inc

Lucy Guerin ao is a choreographer and founder of Lucy Guerin Inc, whose work explores dance through experimentation and collaboration with artists across disciplines. She has presented work throughout Australia and toured extensively internationally. Lucy’s sustained commitment to First Nations artists helped create the conditions for the annual NAISDA graduate secondment and First Nations Residency, developed in partnership with BlakDance and later joined by Carriageworks. Informed by LGI’s participation in BlakDance’s Cultural Competency Self-Assessment Audit, the residency supports artistic research and development, with First Nations artistic self-determination at its core.

Photo: Gregory Lorenzutti.

David Hallberg

David Hallberg

Artistic Director and Co-CEO
The Australian Ballet

David Hallberg is Artistic Director and Co-CEO of The Australian Ballet and a former principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre and the Bolshoi Ballet. Through programming and commissioning, he has supported First Nations dance across company and independent practice. His DanceX programs have included Karul’s SILENCE, Marrugeku’s Gudirr Gudirr performed by Dalisa Pigram, Daniel Riley’s The Third for Australian Dance Theatre (ADT) and Gary Lang NT Dance Company’s The Other Side of Me. Under his leadership, The Australian Ballet commissioned Riley’s THE HUM, in association with ADT, and Frances Rings’ Flora, a co-production with Bangarra Dance Theatre.

James O'Hara

James O'Hara

Co-director
STRUT Dance

Raised between the Swan River and Indian Ocean in Walyalup/Fremantle, James O’Hara is a dancer, teacher, choreographic assistant and director with an international career spanning more than twenty years. His long-standing involvement with STEPS Youth Dance Company shaped his commitment to young artists and community. He has collaborated extensively with Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Damien Jalet, Michael Keegan-Dolan and Marina Mascarell, alongside work with companies including Australian Ballet and Paris Opera Ballet. He was Assistant Choreographer at the National Youth Dance Company of Sadler’s Wells and Co-Artistic Director of the New Zealand Dance Company. Since 2022 he has co-directed STRUT Dance alongside Sofie Burgoyne.