From Lismore Eisteddfod to Queensland Ballet

LAST  year’s recipient of the Lismore Eisteddfod’s Robert T. Weatherby Award for most promising male dancer, Liam Sullivan, is more than living up to the title.

The 13-year-old recently performed the lead role in the Academy of Queensland Ballet’s production of Soiree and will appear as one of the children in the popular Christmas ballet The Nutcracker at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre from December 5 to 13.

Sullivan began tap and ballet lessons at the McAuliffe School of Dance in Casino after seeing their end-of-year concert when he was ten.

“It looked fun to be on stage performing,” he said. “The costumes and the music made it seem lively.”

After attending the Academy of Queensland Ballet’s summer school in January, director Christian Tatchev recognised his potential and offered him a scholarship to train there.

“It was just an honour to be offered such an amazing opportunity,” Sullivan said. “I could not believe that I was living in Brisbane and studying at the Academy. It took roughly two months before I felt like it was really happening. For a couple of months, I felt like I was just visiting Brisbane on holidays and attending a summer school.”

Sullivan said he was thrilled to be involved in Queensland Ballet’s season of The Nutcracker.

“The Nutcracker is very special, as it is the final ballet of the season for the main company in 2025 and the Christmas season is a time for family and gathering,” he said. “There are elements that are magical and The Nutcracker brings that magic of Christmas alive.”

Sullivan’s family has been extremely supportive, with his mum moving to Brisbane at the start of the year and renting a house so he could attend the Academy.

“She works in Brisbane now, and my dad is still working full-time in Casino and comes up on weekends,” he said.

“Both my grandmothers even helped with getting me to some of my rehearsals for Soiree.”

Long-term, Sullivan’s ballet dream is to be accepted into the Academy’s pre-professional program, join Queensland Ballet as a company artist, and one day become a principal dancer.

“I hope to travel around the world dancing and performing in ballets,” he said. “On retiring from full time dancing I aspire to be an artistic director of a ballet academy or company.”