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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

David McAllister, n.d.

Lisa Tomasetti

inkjet print on paper
David McAllister, n.d.

David McAllister AC was director of The Australian Ballet from 2001 to 2020. Over three decades with the company, McAllister was celebrated for his extraordinary performances as a dancer and led The Australian Ballet to become one of the most highly regarded dance companies in the world. In an interview with Richard Fidler in 2019 for ABC Conversations, McAllister described a childhood love of dance: ‘I was always dancing around … my first memory was waiting for Play School and dancing in front of the TV with tea towels tucked into my pants and spinning … it was destined that I was going to dance.’

Related information

Brooke Lockett, Heidi Martin, Karen Nanasca, Halaina Hills; New York, 2012 Lisa Tomasetti
Brooke Lockett, Heidi Martin, Karen Nanasca, Halaina Hills; New York, 2012 Lisa Tomasetti
Brooke Lockett, Heidi Martin, Karen Nanasca, Halaina Hills; New York, 2012 Lisa Tomasetti
Brooke Lockett, Heidi Martin, Karen Nanasca, Halaina Hills; New York, 2012 Lisa Tomasetti

Dance like everyone’s watching

About Face article

8 September 2020

Penelope Grist’s spirits soar with Lisa Tomasetti’s Dancers in the Streets series.
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance

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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

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