Ross Hannaford is one of Australia’s most diverse and talented musical theatre performers teachers and directors.
Ross is a singer, actor, dancer, educator, choreographer, director and creative professional working in a diverse range of disciplines in the theatre industry, both in Australia and internationally. His professional musical theatre career has been wide- ranging, commencing in the role of Tiny Tim in Scrooge at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre over 30 years ago, through to his more recent rave reviews for his portrayal of Princeton and Rod in Avenue Q at Her Majesty’s Theatre Melbourne.
He received a Green Room Award nomination for the portrayal of Tobias Ragg in Victorian Opera’s hailed production of Sweeney Todd. He also played the role of Skimbleshanks in the Australian tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s re-created CATS, going on to become the resident director of the production in Seoul, South Korea. Other performance highlights include, Paul in A Chorus Line, Wicked, King Kong, We Will Rock You, Theo in Pippin, Colin in The Secret Garden and SHOUT! The musical.
His Production Company credits include Clarius in Camelot, Junior in Little Me, Thoroughly Modern Millie & Sweet Charity.
Ross is a recipient of the Solo Seal Award from the Royal Academy of Dance and was a finalist at the international Margot Fonteyn awards. He is also a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts - Music Theatre & the VCA Secondary School where he received the Anne Wooliams award for dance excellence.
Ross joined Cirque Du soleil in Montreal, Canada to create and workshop the ‘Trickster’ character for the touring production of ‘Kooza’. He appeared as the lead vocalist on Foxtel's ‘The Singing Office’, where he cemented his love for music and composition. He has further pursued his own writing and recording with Rockcandy productions and the Shed Studios, culminating in a top 10 listing with the Australian Song Writing Association.
Ross created and performed the tribute show to the skill and legend that was Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. ‘Cheek to Cheek’ which floats back through the tales of 20th Century’s greatest on-screen pairing.
More recently Ross has turned his focus to the nurturement and training of the next generation of global artists, as the dance coordinator at the VCA Music Theatre Undergraduate Degree. Passionate about the development of diverse skill sets, with a strong connection to story, self and innovative performance. His choreography credits at VCA have been praised for their originality, nuanced style and narrative integration, these include Spring Awakening, Heathers, Merrily We Roll Along and Flora the Red Menace.
Entrenched in the history and fabric of dance and Music theatre in Australia, Ross has been published in both Limelight and Dance Australia Magazines. He is passionate and excited about the ongoing success of the Theatre Arts sector, striving for an industry that is groundbreaking, robust, fulfilling and a rewarding space that welcomes all.