Opal Russell

Opal Russell (she/her) is a dancer, choreographer and sound designer from Kiama, New South Wales, on Dharawal Country, currently based in Naarm/Melbourne. Her practice is grounded in a longstanding drive to make, perform and create independently. From an early age, Opal began making her own dance films and performances, developing an interest in choreography and production alongside her training as a dancer. At 18, she curated and produced a community dance program with the support of Kiama Council, bringing local dance artists together and creating opportunities for community participation through performance and workshops. This early experience established an ongoing commitment to independent creation, collaboration and community.

Opal trained through the Sydney Dance Company Pre-Professional Year, receiving a full scholarship after being selected as a finalist in the Brisbane International Contemporary Dance Prix, before completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA). Throughout her training and continuing into her professional practice, she has worked across performance and choreography, presenting short and full-length works across Sydney and Naarm/Melbourne, including at Short Sharp Dance Festival, Out of Bounds at Dancehouse and Lucy Guerin Inc, MUDfest and MUSE Festival. Her choreography has been recognised with the Most Innovative Choreography Award at Short Sharp Dance Festival for her solo A Sigh. As a performer, Opal has worked with choreographers including Stephanie Lake, Rafael Bonachela, Merce Cunningham and Alisdair Macindoe, and is currently a dancer with SCIMM Dance Company. She also completed an internship with Chunky Move in 2025.

Opal works across movement and sound, designing sound for her own choreographic works and collaborating with independent dance artists. Over the past two and a half years, she has developed a dedicated Krump practice through Burn City Krump and Scout Fam, becoming actively engaged in the form, its lineage and its community. This practice has become central to her current artistic development, informing her choreographic research into the relationship between Krump and contemporary dance and the possibilities that emerge when distinct movement practices enter into dialogue.