After more than a decade with The Australian Ballet, Principal Artist Callum Linnane will depart the Company this June to take the next step in his career on the international stage, joining Hamburg Ballet as a principal artist from the 2026/2027 season, marking an exciting new chapter in his career.
Hailing from Ballarat, Victoria, Linnane has risen through the ranks to become one of the Company’s leading artists, earning acclaim for his dramatic depth and commanding stage presence.
His repertoire spans some of the most demanding roles in classical and contemporary ballet, including the title role in Christopher Wheeldon’s Oscar© (2024), Don José in Johan Inger’s Carmen (2024-2025), Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake (2023), Romeo in John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet (2022) Alexei Vronsky in Yuri Possokhov’s Anna Karenina (2021-2022) and John Neumeier’s Nijinsky (2016/2025).
“Callum has always been an inspired artist who in turn has inspired audiences and colleagues. His performances as Nijinsky in 2016, in only his second year with the Company, marked him as an artist of rare depth, and as Oscar in 2024 he continued to expand the possibilities of our art form,” said The Australian Ballet’s Artistic Director, David Hallberg.
“I applaud Callum’s desire to stretch and grow. While he will be greatly missed, I am thrilled for him as he takes this next step. He takes with him the strength, integrity and artistry that define The Australian Ballet,” said Hallberg.
“I grew up at The Australian Ballet. From first walking through the doors of the School as an excited 12-year-old, to becoming a principal artist with the Company, this place has shaped me both as a person and as an artist,” said Callum Linnane.
“I’ve been incredibly fortunate to be nurtured, challenged, to work with truly wonderful people, and to dance great works. I’m deeply grateful to the audiences who have supported me throughout my time here, their warmth and generosity has meant so much.”
“To now join Hamburg Ballet, a company I have long admired, is both exciting and deeply meaningful. I carry my time here very close to my heart. It has been an extraordinary chapter,” said Linnane.
Linnane began training in all styles of dance at the Ballarat Centre of Music and the Arts at the age of seven and started ballet classes with Lauren Young at 11-years-old. He was accepted into The Australian Ballet School in 2008, graduating dux with honours in 2014 before joining the Company in 2015. In 2016, he was awarded the prestigious Telstra Ballet Dancer Award, and in 2022, he was promoted to principal artist on opening night of Anna Karenina in Melbourne.
Linnane’s departure is a proud moment for The Australian Ballet, with his 18-year journey across The Australian Ballet School and Company standing as a powerful example of the world-class talent developed in Australia and recognised globally. His career highlights a dynamic international ballet landscape, one that both attracts exceptional artists to Australia and sees Australian talent excel on the world stage.
Audiences will have a final opportunity to see Linnane perform in Australia before his departure. He will take to the stage in Flora at the Sydney Opera House from 7 – 18 April, followed by John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet at the Sydney Opera House from 24 April – 13 May and at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre from 6 – 16 June.
Images: Callum Linnane and Artists of The Australian Ballet in Anna Karenina (Possokhov) – photo by Lucas Dawson (2022) | Callum Linnane in Carmen (Inger) – photo by Daniel Boud (2024) | Callum Linnane in Nijinsky (Neumeier) – photo by Kate Longley (2025)