Christian Tàtchev

Christian Tàtchev is the Director of Queensland Ballet Academy, the official training organisation of Queensland Ballet.

Christian trained at the National School of Choreography in Sofia, commencing his professional career at age 16 after an award-winning performance at the Anastas Petrov ballet competition, and achieving the rank of Principal Artist at 21. He performed with the National Opera and Ballet Sofia and Bulgarian contemporary dance company Ballet Arabesque, later moving to South Africa to work with various companies including the Performing Arts Council of Transvaal (PACT) Ballet and the South African Ballet Theatre, where alongside his extensive performing and touring schedule, he was engaged as a Coach and Repetiteur. After participating as a Guest Artist in Queensland Ballet’s 2008 International Ballet Gala, Christian relocated to Australia and joined the Company as a Principal Artist. His repertoire with the above-mentioned companies includes principal roles in the major classical repertoire as well as in numerous works by celebrated choreographers of modern times.

Christian retired from the stage in 2011 and was appointed the Company’s Ballet Master, where he began to build upon the passion for teaching he had cultivated alongside his performance career. After studying business management and partaking in a global study tour awarded by the Ian Potter Foundation, he took up the position of Director of Training in 2013 and was instrumental in the development of new training programs alongside Artistic Director Li Cunxin AO.

In 2016, Christian was named Director of Queensland Ballet Academy. Today, the Academy’s purpose-built facility onsite at Kelvin Grove State College features world-class dance studios, performance spaces, and health and wellness facilities, with a holistic focus on student wellbeing.

He continues to perform with Queensland Ballet as a Character Artist, while his expertise makes him much in demand as a national and international teacher and adjudicator.