Ty King-Wall

Born in Waihi, New Zealand, Ty trained at the Dance Education Centre in Tauranga and as a Junior Associate at the New Zealand School of Dance. He won the 2002 PACANZ National Young Performer Award, before leaving New Zealand to study at the Australian Ballet School, where he graduated dux with honours. He won the Silver Medal at the 2005 Asia Pacific International Ballet Competition, and was accepted into The Australian Ballet in 2006.  

Ty was promoted to Principal Artist in 2013 and danced in featured roles across the company’s repertoire through his seventeen year career. He has danced with The Australian Ballet on international tours to Paris, London, New York, Tokyo and Beijing, and has performed as a Principal Guest Artist with the Royal New Zealand Ballet and Houston Ballet.  

Ty holds a Bachelor of Arts (Classical Studies/Psychology) through Massey University, and a Master of Arts and Cultural Management through the University of Melbourne, for which he conducted Minor Thesis research on the career demographics and retirement motivations of professional ballet dancers. He retired from The Australian Ballet in 2022, and just left his role as a classical teacher at The Australian Ballet School. He has taught for The Australian Ballet, New Zealand School of Dance, National Theatre Ballet School, and the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School. He was the Dancers’ Director on the Board of The Australian Ballet, and is the Founding Director of Tailored Ballet Coaching, a Melbourne-based ballet coaching clinic.