Gabrielle Witschi

by Danielle Brown

When we first introduced readers to Gabrielle Witschi in our November 2020 issue, she was a 17-year-old National College of Dance graduate brimming with promise. Selected as one of our National Student Star Award recipients, she had already caught the attention of industry leaders. As Brett Morgan, Artistic Director of National College of Dance, said at the time, “A true artist beyond her years.”

Five years on, we reconnect with Gabrielle and discover not just the young dancer we once knew, but a fully realised performer with an international career that has taken her from regional theatres to the open ocean. After dancing with Victorian State Ballet, Gabrielle is now performing as part of the theatre cast aboard Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas, sailing through the Caribbean and exploring the world in a way she never imagined at 17. Her journey is one of reinvention, resilience, and discovering new joy in places she never thought to look.

Gabrielle speaks with unmistakable excitement about where her career has led her. “I’m in the middle of my first contract with Royal Caribbean,” she says. “At the moment we’re sailing through the Caribbean out of New Jersey, doing cruises anywhere from 7 to 15 days long.”

Life on board has been an adjustment, sometimes surreal, always full. “I often miss home and my own bed,” she admits. “But waking up in new cities and countries every week is just something else. And the people… I’d never met any of them 9 months ago, and now I can’t imagine not seeing them every day.”

The ship’s theatre cast performs two major shows. The Showgirl is a glamorous production tracing showgirl culture past, present, and future. One of Gabrielle’s favourite moments happens on the grand staircase: “When all the showgirls descend in these stunning white bedazzled costumes and sparkling showgirl backpacks… it just feels magical.” She laughs and adds, “Oh—and I do love a bit of CanCan!”

The second production, The Effectors, is a superhero-themed show filled with high-tech effects, aerial elements, and live lasers. “These shows use so many incredible technical elements,” Gabrielle explains. “Working with live lasers on stage is such a cool experience.” And then, of course, there’s the added challenge no studio prepares you for: “Dancing on a rocking stage in the middle of the ocean!” It’s worlds away from her days at Victorian State Ballet, but Gabrielle sees both experiences as deeply formative. “I remember how much I loved touring around Australia with VSB and seeing all the beautiful regional theatres. I’m lucky to have experienced both.”

Before setting sail, Gabrielle spent six intense weeks in Miami preparing the shows. “Each show got about three weeks to put together,” she says. “We’d start with conditioning at 9am, then get into rehearsals around 10am. Depending on the day I’d also go to the gym to cross-train.” Long days, complex choreography, everything designed to get the cast performance-ready for ship life.

Gabrielle auditioned for Royal Caribbean in 2024, alongside a massive group of dancers. “The casting team sent us material to learn beforehand,” she explains. “I loved that, it meant when I walked into the room I could focus on performing.” Coming from a strong classical background, she deliberately spent the lead-up taking open classes in as many styles as she could. “Expanding my artistic styles really helped me. It made me feel more confident, and I believe that helped contributed to a successful audition.” It was the kind of versatility she had started building years earlier at NCD.

Looking back, Gabrielle reflects on what prepared her for such a varied international path. “Hands down the teachers and the versatility,” she says. “Even though I was in the classical stream, we had regular contemporary, jazz, lyrical, choreography, and improvisation classes” She gives special mentions to Brett Morgan himself. “His passion for dance was infectious. He supported me wholeheartedly and got me into the right headspace for this career.”

Although her path looks vibrant and exciting now, Gabrielle is candid about one of the hardest decisions she ever made: “Hanging up my pointe shoes and stepping away from professional ballet.” It wasn’t a decision made lightly. “It hurt a lot. Ballet was something I’d dreamt of as a kid… it was part of my identity.” The transition was disorienting, but she rebuilt slowly, with the support of her family, new communities, and new creative outlets. “I was lost for a while, but I’m so thankful for my journey. Even though it’s not what I expected, it’s gotten me where I am today.”

In the present moment, Gabrielle speaks with clarity about what fills her cup. On stage, she treasures the moment of catching eyes with a member of the audience and seeing them brighten. “That brief moment of connection, it makes my whole day.” Off stage, her joy is simpler: “I love exploring new ports with my friends. Especially the European ones!”

Her message to full-time students carries the weight of experience: keep as many doors open as you can, try new styles and new artforms, don’t be afraid of discomfort, “that’s where the growth is.” She also believes in taking a step back when needed. “If you feel stuck, take a moment to reconnect with why you dance. Your pathway might become clear in the quiet, and it might look different to what you imagined and that’s okay.”

From a teenager living in a granny flat while training full-time, to logging onto Zoom for Balanchine classes during COVID, to touring with Victorian State Ballet, and now performing spectacular productions on a ship in the Caribbean, Gabrielle’s story is one of courage, adaptability, and rediscovering joy in unexpected places. Her 17-year-old self-dreamed of dancing professionally. Her 22-year-old self is doing something even bigger: performing, travelling, growing, and embracing a career that is uniquely, unmistakably her own.