Mathilda Ballantyne
Mathilda is an Australian-Chinese artist from Melbourne/Naarm, whose work navigates the space between the precision of classical ballet and the fluidity of contemporary dance. Their journey began at the Australian Ballet School (ABS), where they honed their technical skill and developed a deep understanding of the artistry required to communicate through movement. It was here that Mathilda was honoured with the Graeme Murphy Award for Excellence in Contemporary Dance, a recognition of their artistic dedication.
After completing a Graduate Diploma in Classical Ballet, Mathilda shifted their focus to contemporary dance, seeking to merge their classical foundation with an ever-expanding interest in new, boundary-pushing forms. In 2020, they joined PROJECTion Dance Company under Tim Podesta’s direction, performing in and touring Closer across Australia. This experience ignited a deeper desire to explore the power of movement to evoke emotion and connect with audiences on a personal level.
In 2022, Mathilda became a key member of Scimm. Dance Company, where they performed in innovative works like Paracosm (2022) and Mechorstra (2023), deepening their exploration of the intersection between movement, sound, and visual storytelling. Following this, Mathilda embraced the freedom of freelancing, collaborating with artists like Vourneen Ni’cainin on Kill Your Darlings (2023) and Ronan Armstrong on Misfortunes on a Wednesday Night (2024), both part of Lucy Guerin’s Out of Bounds seasons.