WHEN Li Cunxin unexpectedly announced his retirement as Artistic Director of Queensland Ballet (QB) due to ill health, speculation was rife about who would replace him, as under his direction the company had soared in popular and critical reputation. However, the appointment of Leanne Benjamin OBE, AM, not only a Queenslander, but the first woman to hold the position in the company’s history, seemed a perfect fit, also bringing the highly respected artist almost full circle.
Benjamin left her hometown of
