JACINTA WALSH
INTERNATIONAL PROFESSIONAL CAREER
Born in Melbourne, Jacinta graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts School of Dance with a Diploma in Dance. She studied classical ballet with some of the most world-renowned master ballet teachers such as Anne Woolliams, Madame Janina Cunova, Peter Appel, David Nixon OBE, and Dr. Lucette Aldous, among others. Under Dr. Lucette Aldous, she studied the classical ballet techniques of Vaganova, the Royal Danish, Paris Opera and the Boris Kniaseff system. In the final year of her secondary school, Jacinta was granted the Big Brother Scholarship to travel to the United Kingdom to perform at the Aberdeen International Youth Festival. Two years later, she was awarded the Anthony Joseph Pratt Scholarship for Dance and moved to Europe to begin her career as a professional ballet dancer.
One of Jacinta’s greatest influences was Anne Woolliams, who was the co-founder of the John Cranko Ballettschule in Stuttgart and founding Dean of the Victorian College of the Arts School of Dance during her time there. Under Ms. Woolliams, Jacinta experienced the importance of having a mentor who could both see and draw out a dancer’s full potential while developing the artistic expression of a ballet student; something she constantly aims to emulate for her ballet students.
Jacinta accepted her first professional engagement with the Basel Ballet in Switzerland. There she worked with numerous well-known choreographers, including Heinz Spoerli, Maurice Béjart, Youri Vámos, Judith Jamison and Mats Ek. After working with Judith Jamison for her contemporary work, "Divining", Ms. Jamison invited Jacinta to join the Alvin Ailey Summer programme in New York City.
Subsequently, she moved to Berlin, Germany, to dance with the Berlin Ballet at Deutsche Oper Berlin and worked with world renowned choreographers Nacho Duato, John Neumeier, Glen Tetley, Peter Schaufuss, Rodrigo Pederneiras, Heinz Spoerli among others. When Glen Tetley, staged “Voluntaries” he promoted Jacinta to soloist in the same ballet. Her experience with John Neumeier for his ballet “Undine” was also unforgettable.
Jacinta was then offered the principal role for Katharina Thalbach's opera production of Janacek's "The Cunning little Fox" at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. She also was a guest principal with Gregor Seyffert & Company for their European Tour.
Jacinta also explored dance-theatre and was invited by German choreographer and artistic director, Jochen Ulrich, to perform with Tanztheater, Tiroler Landestheater in Austria. She performed as a principal dancer in his ballets: Romeo & Julia, Réverénce and Ich Tanze mit Dir in der Himmel hinein. Mr. Ulrich created several roles for Jacinta and she received very enthusiastic reviews, one being "The real highlight of the evening: The young dancer Jacinta Walsh…Absolute highlight: Jacinta Walsh. The enchanting dancer is impressive through strong stage presence, with her radiant charisma" (Moni Brüggeller. Kronen Zeitung) and "…full of charm and humor the Hermes from Jacinta Walsh" (Ursula Strohal, Tiroler Tageszeitung). In addition, Jacinta was the personal representative and assistant to Mr. Ulrich.
When Mikhail Baryshnikov and his company the White Oak Dance Project toured to Berlin, Jacinta joined the ensemble to experience working with one of the greatest male dancers of all time. "Performing on the same stage as Baryshnikov was one of my career highlights."
Jacinta was also a guest dancer in productions with Erfurt Theater, at the opening of its new state theatre and its collaboration in Monte Carlo at the Monte Carlo Forum. She also took part in the Bregenz Festival in the production of West Side Story, directed by the prominent opera director Francesca Zambello and choreographed by Richard Wherlock.
Later, while working as personal assistant to directors of dance, opera and film such as Katharina Thalbach, Dr Dieter Wedel, Nigel Lowery, Amir Hosseinpour, Jacinta’s work was successfully acknowledged and her inherent feeling for music was highly regarded in the arts world. In assisting Nigel Lowery and Amir Hosseinpour for their State Theatre Berlin production of Rossini's L'italiana in Algeri; a critic wrote, "The best in this evening are the ballet sequences. ... ballet sequences danced by eight excellent dancers". (Julia Spinola, Frankfurter Allgemeine). After the premiere Jacinta was fully responsible for the production's dance sequences in repeat performances. She also performed as a dancer in the same.
Jacinta was employed as a choreographer for the prestigious European festival "Nibelungen Festspiele", directed by Dr. Dieter Wedel one of Germany's Star Film Director's. The Festival's Diary wrote, "Jacinta Walsh, the Australian dance teacher who lives in Berlin, will rehearse the steps, moves, poses and postures required with all 80-cast members. The instructor can draw on a wealth of experience. Jacinta Walsh has already been engaged at at the "Basel Ballet" she danced under the artistic direction of Heinz Spoerli, and at the Deutsche Oper Berlin she was a regular member of the permanent ballet ensemble. Further solo engagements followed in the career of the attractive dancer, such as with Judith Jamison from New York, with Mats Ek, who has newly interpreted cornerstones of the ballet repertoire with his dynamic and expressive language of movements, as well as with ballet greats Maurice Béjart and John Neumeier. Now she is active in Worms, the city of Nibelungen: Jacinta Walsh trains the supernumeraries twice a week in addition to all their other rehearsals."
Jacinta has a Masters of Arts and Cultural Management from the University of South Australia, and was awarded membership of the exclusive Golden Key International Honour Society, for students in the top 15% of their respective fields. Jacinta wrote her management report on Opera Australia, which received distinction. She also holds a postgraduate Diploma in Arts & Cultural Management with the same university, and wrote her management report on The Australian Ballet Company, which received distinction.
In addition, Jacinta has taught dance at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School in Melbourne. She initiated the German exchange program between the VCASS and the Palucca Dance Academy in Dresden, and together with the Berlin Philharmonic’s Educational Department, she coordinated a programme for guest musicians to give lectures.
As a professional ballet teacher, Jacinta has many years of experience with international vocational ballet schools in Australia, Asia, United Kingdom and Europe.
In 2013-2017, Jacinta was the senior ballet teacher at Singapore’s School of the Arts where she taught all levels. She is familiar with both the International Baccalaureate Diploma and the Career-related Programme. She has coached and mentored prize–winners for the annual Asian Grand Prix International Ballet Competition in Hong Kong. Under her support and guidance, Jacinta’s students have been very successful in achieving entrance into the Singapore Dance Theatre Company, The Juilliard School, New Zealand School of Dance, English National Ballet School, John Cranko Ballet School among others. In addition, her dance students participate in intensive summer programmes with The Australian Ballet School, Paris Opera Etoile, The Royal Ballet School, Netherlands Dans Theater, The University of North Carolina School of the Arts, The Royal Danish Ballet School, Alonzo King LINES, The Juilliard School and Gaga with Ohad Naharin. Her students have also participated in the Asian Grand Prix International Ballet Competition placing in the finals and as finalists.
“Ms. Walsh was like a breath of fresh air, more than a teacher, she was our mentor. She did not just come to teach us technique and help us improve our dancing. On top of what she was hired to do, took care of us nurturing us to be positive, bring our voices and personalities out”. (Anabel Ng of Singapore with John Cranko Ballet School).
In 2017, Jacinta moved to the United Kingdom, where she coached and mentored vocational ballet dancers and visited the leading EU ballet academies, ballet and contemporary companies, and arts organisations. To broaden young dancers’ knowledge and experiences, Jacinta created extra curricula activities through arranging special visits by third parties such as Iratxe Ansa Metamorphosis or travelled with her students to international ballet courses like Paris Opera Etoile in Paris and Gaga with Ohad Naharin in Tel Aviv.
Besides teaching, Jacinta has produced and choreographed dance performances for the school which have received glowing reviews. While offering an avenue for her students to showcase their development, these performances provided an opportunity for Jacinta to help them push their personal and artistic boundaries.
Jacinta seizes every chance to further develop herself and network in the international dance community. This allows her to offer her students the best and most up-to-date practices and opportunities. In recent years, she has travelled to The Royal Ballet Company, The Ballet School of the Opéra National de Paris, The Bolshoi Ballet Company, and the Igor Moiseyev Ballet Company and School in Moscow where she developed her knowledge and skills in various ballet techniques and artistry. Her travels to The Royal Ballet School in London, The Juilliard School in New York and The Royal Danish Ballet, enabled her to initiate further training styles for her students.
Jacinta works very hard to develop her dance students holistically. She initiated and developed the Mind Awareness and also the Nutritional Programme to ensure that the students’ mental, emotional and physical well-being were taken care of. For ballet lessons, she has incorporated sound techniques, teaching methods and practices from masters of dance to bring the best to their practice.
Ultimately however, in the spirit of Anne Woolliams, Jacinta believes passionately in her students and works actively with them to reveal to them the heights they can aspire towards, and that in turn has enabled her students to flourish.
One of Jacinta’s greatest influences was Anne Woolliams, who was the co-founder of the John Cranko Ballettschule in Stuttgart and founding Dean of the Victorian College of the Arts School of Dance during her time there. Under Ms. Woolliams, Jacinta experienced the importance of having a mentor who could both see and draw out a dancer’s full potential while developing the artistic expression of a ballet student; something she constantly aims to emulate for her ballet students.
Jacinta accepted her first professional engagement with the Basel Ballet in Switzerland. There she worked with numerous well-known choreographers, including Heinz Spoerli, Maurice Béjart, Youri Vámos, Judith Jamison and Mats Ek. After working with Judith Jamison for her contemporary work, "Divining", Ms. Jamison invited Jacinta to join the Alvin Ailey Summer programme in New York City.
Subsequently, she moved to Berlin, Germany, to dance with the Berlin Ballet at Deutsche Oper Berlin and worked with world renowned choreographers Nacho Duato, John Neumeier, Glen Tetley, Peter Schaufuss, Rodrigo Pederneiras, Heinz Spoerli among others. When Glen Tetley, staged “Voluntaries” he promoted Jacinta to soloist in the same ballet. Her experience with John Neumeier for his ballet “Undine” was also unforgettable.
Jacinta was then offered the principal role for Katharina Thalbach's opera production of Janacek's "The Cunning little Fox" at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. She also was a guest principal with Gregor Seyffert & Company for their European Tour.
Jacinta also explored dance-theatre and was invited by German choreographer and artistic director, Jochen Ulrich, to perform with Tanztheater, Tiroler Landestheater in Austria. She performed as a principal dancer in his ballets: Romeo & Julia, Réverénce and Ich Tanze mit Dir in der Himmel hinein. Mr. Ulrich created several roles for Jacinta and she received very enthusiastic reviews, one being "The real highlight of the evening: The young dancer Jacinta Walsh…Absolute highlight: Jacinta Walsh. The enchanting dancer is impressive through strong stage presence, with her radiant charisma" (Moni Brüggeller. Kronen Zeitung) and "…full of charm and humor the Hermes from Jacinta Walsh" (Ursula Strohal, Tiroler Tageszeitung). In addition, Jacinta was the personal representative and assistant to Mr. Ulrich.
When Mikhail Baryshnikov and his company the White Oak Dance Project toured to Berlin, Jacinta joined the ensemble to experience working with one of the greatest male dancers of all time. "Performing on the same stage as Baryshnikov was one of my career highlights."
Jacinta was also a guest dancer in productions with Erfurt Theater, at the opening of its new state theatre and its collaboration in Monte Carlo at the Monte Carlo Forum. She also took part in the Bregenz Festival in the production of West Side Story, directed by the prominent opera director Francesca Zambello and choreographed by Richard Wherlock.
Later, while working as personal assistant to directors of dance, opera and film such as Katharina Thalbach, Dr Dieter Wedel, Nigel Lowery, Amir Hosseinpour, Jacinta’s work was successfully acknowledged and her inherent feeling for music was highly regarded in the arts world. In assisting Nigel Lowery and Amir Hosseinpour for their State Theatre Berlin production of Rossini's L'italiana in Algeri; a critic wrote, "The best in this evening are the ballet sequences. ... ballet sequences danced by eight excellent dancers". (Julia Spinola, Frankfurter Allgemeine). After the premiere Jacinta was fully responsible for the production's dance sequences in repeat performances. She also performed as a dancer in the same.
Jacinta was employed as a choreographer for the prestigious European festival "Nibelungen Festspiele", directed by Dr. Dieter Wedel one of Germany's Star Film Director's. The Festival's Diary wrote, "Jacinta Walsh, the Australian dance teacher who lives in Berlin, will rehearse the steps, moves, poses and postures required with all 80-cast members. The instructor can draw on a wealth of experience. Jacinta Walsh has already been engaged at at the "Basel Ballet" she danced under the artistic direction of Heinz Spoerli, and at the Deutsche Oper Berlin she was a regular member of the permanent ballet ensemble. Further solo engagements followed in the career of the attractive dancer, such as with Judith Jamison from New York, with Mats Ek, who has newly interpreted cornerstones of the ballet repertoire with his dynamic and expressive language of movements, as well as with ballet greats Maurice Béjart and John Neumeier. Now she is active in Worms, the city of Nibelungen: Jacinta Walsh trains the supernumeraries twice a week in addition to all their other rehearsals."
Jacinta has a Masters of Arts and Cultural Management from the University of South Australia, and was awarded membership of the exclusive Golden Key International Honour Society, for students in the top 15% of their respective fields. Jacinta wrote her management report on Opera Australia, which received distinction. She also holds a postgraduate Diploma in Arts & Cultural Management with the same university, and wrote her management report on The Australian Ballet Company, which received distinction.
In addition, Jacinta has taught dance at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School in Melbourne. She initiated the German exchange program between the VCASS and the Palucca Dance Academy in Dresden, and together with the Berlin Philharmonic’s Educational Department, she coordinated a programme for guest musicians to give lectures.
As a professional ballet teacher, Jacinta has many years of experience with international vocational ballet schools in Australia, Asia, United Kingdom and Europe.
In 2013-2017, Jacinta was the senior ballet teacher at Singapore’s School of the Arts where she taught all levels. She is familiar with both the International Baccalaureate Diploma and the Career-related Programme. She has coached and mentored prize–winners for the annual Asian Grand Prix International Ballet Competition in Hong Kong. Under her support and guidance, Jacinta’s students have been very successful in achieving entrance into the Singapore Dance Theatre Company, The Juilliard School, New Zealand School of Dance, English National Ballet School, John Cranko Ballet School among others. In addition, her dance students participate in intensive summer programmes with The Australian Ballet School, Paris Opera Etoile, The Royal Ballet School, Netherlands Dans Theater, The University of North Carolina School of the Arts, The Royal Danish Ballet School, Alonzo King LINES, The Juilliard School and Gaga with Ohad Naharin. Her students have also participated in the Asian Grand Prix International Ballet Competition placing in the finals and as finalists.
“Ms. Walsh was like a breath of fresh air, more than a teacher, she was our mentor. She did not just come to teach us technique and help us improve our dancing. On top of what she was hired to do, took care of us nurturing us to be positive, bring our voices and personalities out”. (Anabel Ng of Singapore with John Cranko Ballet School).
In 2017, Jacinta moved to the United Kingdom, where she coached and mentored vocational ballet dancers and visited the leading EU ballet academies, ballet and contemporary companies, and arts organisations. To broaden young dancers’ knowledge and experiences, Jacinta created extra curricula activities through arranging special visits by third parties such as Iratxe Ansa Metamorphosis or travelled with her students to international ballet courses like Paris Opera Etoile in Paris and Gaga with Ohad Naharin in Tel Aviv.
Besides teaching, Jacinta has produced and choreographed dance performances for the school which have received glowing reviews. While offering an avenue for her students to showcase their development, these performances provided an opportunity for Jacinta to help them push their personal and artistic boundaries.
Jacinta seizes every chance to further develop herself and network in the international dance community. This allows her to offer her students the best and most up-to-date practices and opportunities. In recent years, she has travelled to The Royal Ballet Company, The Ballet School of the Opéra National de Paris, The Bolshoi Ballet Company, and the Igor Moiseyev Ballet Company and School in Moscow where she developed her knowledge and skills in various ballet techniques and artistry. Her travels to The Royal Ballet School in London, The Juilliard School in New York and The Royal Danish Ballet, enabled her to initiate further training styles for her students.
Jacinta works very hard to develop her dance students holistically. She initiated and developed the Mind Awareness and also the Nutritional Programme to ensure that the students’ mental, emotional and physical well-being were taken care of. For ballet lessons, she has incorporated sound techniques, teaching methods and practices from masters of dance to bring the best to their practice.
Ultimately however, in the spirit of Anne Woolliams, Jacinta believes passionately in her students and works actively with them to reveal to them the heights they can aspire towards, and that in turn has enabled her students to flourish.
“Guiding the growth of students, not just as arts technicians, but as total human beings, incorporating the social and psychological aspects of their development, and catering to each student at his/her level of skill.”
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