Josephine Jason

Josephine Jason began her ballet training in Adelaide with the renowned teacher, director and choreographer, Joanne Priest.

After graduating from the Australian Ballet School, she was accepted into The Australian Ballet by the directors, Dame Peggy van Praagh and Sir Robert Helpmann.  Sir Robert Helpmann created his controversial ballet Sun Music for Josephine while she was still a member of the corps de ballet.  She went on to dance many solo and principal roles, being chosen by international choreographers such as John Butler and Anthony Tudor to star in their ballets.  She was chosen to dance Ophelia to Rudolph Nureyev’s Hamlet in Sir Robert Helpmann’s ballet Hamlet.

Josephine furthered her career in London with London Festival Ballet (now the English National Ballet) where she continued to work with Nureyev and was also chosen to dance leading roles by choreographers Ronald Hynd and Barry Moreland. Josephine was later invited to rejoin The Australian Ballet. After a full time dancing career Josephine was appointed Public Relations Director for The Australian Ballet.

Josephine was invited to give masterclasses at various dance organisations, and after taking a summer school for the Ann McDonald College of Dancing in Sydney, accepted a full time position to teach at The McDonald College, where she is now Head of Ballet.