Judy Maelor Thomas

Judy Maelor Thomas, born in Wales (United Kingdom), trained at the Royal Ballet School in London. She danced with companies in France, England and Belgium. As a dancer, choreologist and ballet mistress, she has worked with many different choreographers and with companies like American Ballet Theatre, The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Ballet West (Salt Lake City, US), the Finnish National Ballet and the Polish National Ballet.

After working with Dutch National Ballet as a ballet mistress and choreologist for eight-and-a-half years, Maelor Thomas left for Australia and became co-director of West Australian Ballet, where Ted Brandsen had been appointed artistic director in 1998. When Brandsen returned to the Netherlands in 2002, she took over the position of artistic director for one year, after which she returned to her co-director position. 

In 2005, Maelor Thomas started working as a freelancer. Her work included research and sponsor activities for West Australian Ballet, teaching in Australia and New Zealand, and a readership at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. In September 2006, Judy Maelor Thomas returned to the artistic staff of Dutch National Ballet in the position of ballet mistress.

For her services to the Australian dance world, Maelor Thomas was awarded the Australian Centenary.