Lake Lad Coming Home To Dance

Newcastle Herald

Thursday August 28, 2008

By JESSICA TANNER

LAKE Macquarie ballet star Damian Smith will once again grace the Australian stage.

It will be his first performance on home soil in 17 years.

Smith, a principal dancer for the San Francisco Ballet, will perform for choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and his New York dance company Morphoses in Sydney next February.

It will be Smith's first Australian show since he left aged 17 on a scholarship to the School of American Ballet.

Smith, formerly of Toronto, fell in love with dancing when he attended a Christmas recital at the age of 10. "I was hooked," he said.

The decision to give up sports shocked Smith's mother, but he said she was supportive.

"She knew it was important for me to finish school and keep things in perspective before starting my career as a dancer," he said.

Mr Smith studied at the Robyn Hick School of Dance and briefly with Marie Walton Mahon before attending the McDonald College School of Arts in Sydney.

After finishing his US scholarship, he performed in France then joined the San Francisco Ballet in 1996.

"My advice for aspiring dancers is to never doubt your ability, and don't take yourself too seriously," he said.

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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