Damani Campbell Williams

Damani Campbell Williams joined the Royal New Zealand Ballet as an Artist in August 2022. 

Born and raised in the UK, Damani graduated from Elmhurst Ballet School (in association with Birmingham Royal Ballet) in 2013, having toured with the company in his final year of training. Upon graduating he danced in Europe for the Slovenian National Ballet in Ljubljana, Moravian Theatre Ballet, and most recently Slovak National Ballet in Bratislava.   

Highlights have included dancing various roles in classical productions (Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, La Bayadère, The Nutcracker, Cinderella) by choreographers such as Irek Mukhamedov, Vasilij Medvedev and Michael Corder, as well as modern works by Boris Eifman (Beyond Sin), Kristina Paulin (Icarus) and more.   

As a Soloist with the Moravian Theatre Ballet (Czech Republic), Damani danced a mix of Principal and Soloist roles including the title role in full-length productions of Spartacus and Othello by Robert Ballogh, winning a theatre award in 2017 for his ‘outstanding’ portrayal of the latter.   

Damani made his New Zealand debut in October 2022, performing Christopher Wheeldon’s After the Rain pas de deux. That same year, he also danced in Olivier Wevers’ The Sofa, Alice Topp’s Aurum, and Twyla Tharp’s Waterbaby Bagatelles™. 2023 saw Damani dance a variety of roles, including Lord Capulet and Paris in Romeo and Juliet, the Smoke Duet and Storm Trio in Alice Topp’s Logos, and the Father and Sandman in Hansel and Gretel. He also danced the Giselle Act 2 Pas de deux in the RNZB’s 70th anniversary gala, and in Te Ao Marama and Requiem for a Rose for the Lightscapes mixed bill. He looks forward to growing more as a member of the RNZB and performing for audiences in Aotearoa.