Our History Makers: Michela Kirkaldie

After training with Edouard Borovansky, Laurel Martyn and Paul Hammond, Michela Kirkaldie was accepted into The Australian Ballet School. Her childhood dream of dancing Swan Lake came true during her career at The Australian Ballet, where she achieved the rank of principal artist. She also danced with London Festival Ballet before returning to her home company. At the age of 33, a persistent injury and the urge to have children prompted her to retire from the stage. In 1991, she joined The Australian Ballet School, where she has explored her interest in biomechanics and the foundation of technique as a specialist coach; she also trains teachers.As a dancer, Michela Kirkaldie was ahead of her time. In an era when dance training and even professional coaching was often a matter of direction – “Now you put your arm here, now you turn on the diagonal” – she was always seeking more depth, searching for the structure of ballet technique. Today, it’s widely recognised that a detailed anatomic...