KATIE PIANOFF

KATIE PIANOFF

Katie Pianoff commenced her ballet training at the age of ten at the Australian Academy of Ballet, Sydney , under the tuition of Valrene Tweedie.  At the age of 17 she was accepted into The Royal Ballet Upper School on full scholarship . After 6 months Katie was taken into the Graduate Class & it was there that she was spotted by the eminent Italian sculptor,  Enzo Plazzota, who asked if she would sit for him. One of the sculptures, The Young Dancer, is now sited outside the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden as an inspiration to aspiring dancers, as Enzo had wished . 

Upon graduating Katie was offered a contract by Sir Kenneth MacMillan to join the Royal Ballet Company. She was also offered a contract by Sir Peter Wright to join the Sadlers Wells Royal Ballet (now Birmingham Royal Ballet) . Katie joined the Royal Ballet Company & toured to New York performing, amongst others, works by Cranko, Ashton, Balanchine and MacMillan.
Due to ill health Katie was forced to leave the Company & returned to Australia. She was later offered a contract with the Australian Ballet Company. She has since been invited back to guest with the Company by Maina Gielgud in Anna Karenina as Countess Vronsky & by David MacAllister as Lady Capulet in John Cranko ‘s Romeo & Juliet, Madame Larina in Cranko’ s Onegin & Stephen Baynes’ Swan Lake.

Katie is now sharing her experience & undying love of Ballet with the next generation of Young Dancers at the Tanya Pearson Academy.