Judges
Through the Australian Classical Challenge artists present their talents to an esteemed panel of globally recognised judges, who are celebrated for their groundbreaking work and influential contributions to the dance world. The judges for the 2025 Australian Classical Challenge Events are listed below along with their biographies.
Paul Boyd
Senior Classical Division
Born and raised in Wagga Wagga NSW, Paul trained with Beverley Waters, Robert O’Kell, The Bryan Lawrence School of Ballet in Canberra, The Australian Ballet School and Marika Besobrasova in Monte Carlo.
Paul’s professional dance career spanned over 25 years dancing as a Principal Artist in 3 German Opera Houses, the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Dusseldorf/Duisburg, Oper der Stadt Bonn, Stadtische Buhnen Dortmund, Basel Ballet in Switzerland and Queensland Ballet.
Paul received the German Critics Award for ‘Best Up and Coming Artist in Europe’ and ‘Best Established Artist in Europe’ while as a dancer in Dusseldorf. In 1993 Paul danced the title role of ‘Spartacus’ at the Summer Arts Festival at the famous Arena di Verona in Italy and was a Guest Artist throughout Europe during those years.
His extensive repertoire as a Principal Artist included all the major classics and works from Jiri Kylian, Mats Ek, Hans van Manen, John Neumeier, Erich Walter, William Forsythe, Roland Petit, Youri Vamos, Peter Breuer, Natalie Weir, Francois Klaus, Judith Jamison amongst others.
As a choreographer his ballets have been in the repertoires Queensland Ballet & Queensland Ballet Academy, Australian Ballets Bodytorque season, Basel Ballet, Oper der Stadt Bonn and the Royal Ballet School in London performed ‘Uneven Ground’ at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in 2005 and 2012 and toured that work to Japan and New York. At the invitation of John Neumeier, Paul was invited to create a new work, ‘Songs of the Auvergne’ for his Bundesjugendballett in Hamburg which was presented in Hamburg, Heidelberg and Berlin in 2013.
Paul has been a Guest Teacher and Choreographer at the Royal Ballet School in London, Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, Hong Kong Ballet, Suzhou Ballet Theatre in China, Semper Oper in Dresden, Architanz in Tokyo, Dresden International Ballet Summer School, Ballet Connection Tokyo.
Paul is currently Ballet Master & Resident Choreographer at Queensland Ballet Academy, Character Artist for Queensland Ballet and in October 2023 was Guest Character Artist with The Australian Ballet during their Brisbane Swan Lake season.
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Rani Luther
Senior and Pre- Intermediate Contemporary Divisions
Rani Luther was born in Melbourne and attended the National Theatre Ballet School before completing her year 7-12 education at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School.
Rani’s professional dance career began with the Kiel Ballet Company Germany in 1995 before moving to The Netherlands where she danced with world-renowned Netherlands Dance Theatre 2 and Netherlands Dance Theatre 1.
In 2003 Rani returned home to dance with The Australian Ballet Company for four years, joined Sydney Dance Company in 2007 and retired from stage as a principal dancer with Melbourne Ballet Company in 2011.
Rani has had the great pleasure of working with and performing works by choreographers such as Jiri Kylián, Hans Van Manen, Paul Lightfoot, Mats Ek, Ohad Naharin, William Forsythe, Jacopo Gordani, Edward Liang, Graeme Murphy, Stephan Page, Stephen Baynes, Adrian Burnett, and Rafael Bonachela.
Rani won the gold medal at the Sanlam International Ballet Competition,
South Africa 1993, was winner of the outstanding performance award in
the City of Sydney Ballet Scholarship 1994 and received a nomination
for best female dancer in the Green Room Award 2006 for her roles
in Relic and Jiri with The Australian Ballet Company. Rani was an
adjudicator for the Sydney Eisteddfod Ballet Scholarship 2012, 2014 and
2016 and was adjudicator on the Cecchetti Lucie Saronova Memorial
Awards in July 2023.
Rani’s choreographic creations include two works for NDT Workshop performances 2001/2002, Face the Music for Carriageworks Theatre Sydney 2012, Illuminate for MBC Empyrean season 2016 and Outside In for The Sydney Dance Company Pre-Professional season 2017. In 2018 Rani choreographed Lunar for Queensland Ballet’s inaugural season of Synergy and in 2019 Heartstrings for the Australian Ballet Company’s Bodytorque season. In 2020 Rani choreographed From. To. Here for Queensland Ballet’s Bespoke season and in 2022 choreographed Butterfly Effect for the inaugural season of TDC presents Encore season.
In 2019 Rani was appointed Ballet Mistress and Creative Associate for Queensland Ballet and in 2022 Creative Associate for Queensland Ballet and Thomas Dixon Centre.
During her time as Creative Associate for Queensland Ballet and Producer for Thomas Dixon Centre Presents, Rani curated the Secret Lives of Costumes exhibition in collaboration with Griffith University QAC, produced, directed, and choreographed the four Global Fusion series performances in collaboration with Brisbane Multicultural Arts Centre and curated, produced and choreographed the inaugural season of Encore in November 2022, Rani founded Flourish by Rani Luther in 2022 and since 2023 teaches Ballet, Contemporary, Pointe, Body Conditioning and Pilates across Brisbane. Rani was Associate Choreographer for the 2023 CIRCA production of Duck Pond and in 2024 was Associate Director for the Opera Queensland and CIRCA co production of Dido and Aeneas and restaged excerpts of her work Butterfly Effect for the 2024 October Ballet Nights international Gala in Brisbane.
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Paul Knoblock
Intermediate Classical Division
Paul Knobloch is an accomplished Australian choreographer, creative director, and Ballet Repetiteur, demonstrating expertise in ballet, contemporary dance, and theater through a comprehensive body of work that encompasses stage, film, and television productions.
An honours graduate of the Australian Ballet School, Paul joined The Australian Ballet in 2002, where he quickly rose to the position of soloist before launching his International career. In 2009, he accepted an invitation to join the prestigious Béjart Ballet Lausanne as a Principal dancer and has since showcased his talents worldwide with renowned companies such as English National Ballet, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, West Australian Ballet, and Sydney Dance Company.
As a dancer, Paul has embodied a variety of leading roles in the rich history of ballet, attracting the attention of esteemed choreographers who have entrusted him with originating multiple roles throughout his performing career. Choreographically, Paul is known for blending classical and contemporary dance seamlessly, his choreographic style has garnered critical acclaim for delivering dynamic and visually striking performances, earning comparisons to the legendary Marius Petipa's choreography by critics, as noted in The Herald Sun.
His talent has led to numerous commissioned works from prestigious companies such as The Australian Ballet, Queensland Ballet, Singapore Ballet, Ballet Victoria, (Canada) along with leading dance schools and institutions across Australia, Canada, and the USA. In 2019, Paul collaborated with the globally renowned, multi-award-winning Australian children's music group, The Wiggles and continues to be actively involved as a choreographer and performer in a variety of their stage and screen projects.
He was invited by former Artistic Director David McAllister AC to join The Australian Ballet as a ballet master during his tenure, and in 2023, he assumed the position of Ballet Répétiteur for The Australian Ballet's National Tour and Storytime Ballet under the direction of David Hallberg. In addition to his choreographic pursuits, Paul actively participates guest teaching involvement with esteemed professional companies and schools worldwide. These include Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, Tokyo Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet, St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre, National Ballet of China, Queensland Ballet, Bangarra Dance Theatre, and Sydney Dance Company.
Paul's unique impact in the dance world has garnered him a string of accolades, most notably the prestigious ACT Young Australian of the Year, awarded in 2001, in recognition of his exceptional contributions and national acclaim.
As a passionate advocate for dance, Paul serves on the board of multiple organisations and holds ambassador roles for various companies within the dance sector. With a career defined by artistic excellence and unwavering dedication, Paul humbly continues to expand his artistic horizons as a freelance choreographer.
His goal is to push the boundaries of innovation in dance, aiming to enrich the experiences of the next generation of dancers whilst seeking to inspire and influence the performing arts landscape, both within Australia and abroad.​​​​​
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Jayden Hicks
Intermediate Contemporary Division
Jayden Hicks is a multidisciplinary artist, creator, educator and mentor based in
Melbourne, Australia. He is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of artists and fostering creativity in the community.
Jayden's journey in the performing arts features notable performance credits with esteemed companies such as Opera Australia, Vertical Shadows, Melbourne Ballet Company, and Collaboration the Project. His standout role in "Yours Truly" earned him nominations for a Green Room Award and a Victorian Dance Award as Best Male Dancer in 2013.
Since joining Transit Dance in 2015, Jayden has excelled as a principal artist and was appointed Associate Director in 2022, where he has significantly shaped the company's artistic vision through productions like BOYZ, Small Parameters, ID, and Fuze.
From 2016 to 2020, he served as Artistic Director of Origins Dance Company,
passionately nurturing young talent and producing the Australian Dance Award-
nominated Transit Regional Creative Project , Dance Architect , UNDRGRND
Melbourne. In addition , he has been the Production Manager for Transit Dances in ce 2017, overseeing Lighting Design for numerous innovative works.
In 2021, he collaborated with esteemed artists Cass Mortimer Eipper and Alice Topp as Rehearsal Director for Project Animo's premiere season, "And Now We Move On."
Most recently, in 2023, he served as Creative Associate for The Australian Ballet's 60th Anniversary Season, "Identity," working alongside Alice Topp, and showcased his choreographic talents with "Opus," a contemporary dance work that enjoyed a successful tour across regional Victoria.
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Deborah Whitten
Pre-Intermediate Classical Divisions
Debra Whitten (A.R.A.D. Solo Seal) Examiner and Tutor for the Royal Academy of Dance.
Diploma in Dance from the Victorian College of the Arts. Royal Academy of Dance Teacher's Diploma. Debra has been an Examiner for the Royal Academy of Dance since 1995, travelling interstate and internationally. She is widely respected in the dance community and is sought after as a Guest Teacher at local and interstate vocation schools covering all levels including Solo Seal. Her wonderful personality and her professional manner using safe teaching procedures is an inspiration to all students. Debra has been principal of her own studio in Brisbane for over 30 years and taught at the Queensland Dance School of Excellence for over twenty years. She is an insightful teacher who endeavours to help each student reach their potential and enjoys working with students to help improve their
technique, musicality, and artistry.​​
Lisa Clark
Junior Classical
Lisa received her early dance training from some of Canberra's most respected teachers including Bryan 'Lawrence, Janet Karin, Dell Brady, and Betsy Sawers. After deciding on a career in teaching, Lisa studied at the College of the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) in London, graduating in 1988 with a Licentiate and Associate of the RAD, an Associate of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (National Branch) and the Psychology Prize.
On returning to Australia, Lisa taught at the McDonald College of Performing Arts in Sydney before returning to Canberra, to start her own school. The Lisa Clark School of Ballet opened in 1990 and quickly became established as one of Canberra's largest and most prestigious schools of classical ballet.
In 2004 Lisa was appointed by the RAD Faculty of Education as a tutor for the new RAD qualification the Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies and has since tutored across all modules of this qualification and has also been a mentor for students of LCDC who have undertaken this qualification. In 2011, Lisa was appointed as a tutor for the new RAD syllabus for the new Grade 1-3 syllabus nationally. Lisa was a member of the ACT and Riverina Regional Advisory Panel of the RAD for over 20
years. The Panel works to provide opportunities for teacher and students in the region to further their dance education. Lisa was awarded the Royal Academy of Dance Presidents Award in 2019 Former students are currently dancing in The Australian Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Singapore Dance Theatre, Moulin Rouge, Paris. Students have been accepted into The Australian Ballet School, English National Ballet School, Royal Ballet School, New Zealand School of Dance, Houston Ballet Academy, Queensland Ballet Academy, WAAPA, ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, London Vocational Ballet School and also many renowned private full-time schools around Australia.
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Kaitlin Molone
Junior Contemporary
Kaitlin Malone (she/her) is a second generation Asian/Australian contemporary artist, who has developed her artistic practice within the professional industry in Naarm/Melbourne since 2015. Kaitlin has performed with Stephanie Lake Company in Colossus' for two Melbourne seasons, as well as rehearsal assistant for the Perth,
Switzerland and Germany international tour. Her investment as a working performer
compliments her ability to teach industry knowledge and developing her unique style.