Lisa Antoinette Herbert

The journey of a dancer often begins quietly, in a studio, repeating steps, listening carefully to music, absorbing the culture and discipline that sits behind the movement. For Melbourne dancer and choreographer Lisa Antoinette Herbert, that beginning has expanded far beyond the mirrors and studio floors where her training first took shape, evolving into a career that now moves fluidly between international stages, film sets, and the growing creative networks she continues to build back home.

Today Herbert’s work spans large scale international productions and grassroots artistic initiatives within Melbourne’s dance community. Her credits include performing as a featured dancer with Snoop Dogg, touring with Robbie Williams, and appearing in the Paramount Pictures film Better Man. Yet even as her career has expanded globally, the relationship between international opportunity and local community has remained central to the way she defines success.

For Herbert, the transition from student to working artist did not come from immediately chasing professional bookings. Instead, it came from allowing herself time to explore the creative layers of performance that exist beyond technical training. “When I finished my full-time training, one of the biggest shifts for me was actually taking the pressure off myself to immediately book work,” she reflects. “Instead of chasing jobs, I focused on doing what felt right creatively.”

That decision created space for curiosity, exploration, and an evolving understanding of the cultural influences that shape movement. Herbert began immersing herself in styles that were unfamiliar, studying the musical structures and histories that inform them, gradually discovering a more personal artistic voice. “Through that process, I moved from being a technically trained dancer who could execute the skeleton of choreography to a performer who could still execute with precision while also bringing individuality, musicality, and depth to the movement.”

This deeper engagement with music and context reshaped the way she approached performance. Rather than simply delivering choreography, Herbert learned to inhabit the narrative and intention behind it, allowing movement to become an extension of storytelling.

Working at the highest level of the entertainment industry demands an exceptional degree of reliability. International productions operate with speed and precision, and every performer is expected to arrive fully prepared. “Technically, you have to be extremely reliable, the choreography needs to look the same every time, your stamina has to be there, and you have to be able to adapt quickly to changes in creative direction,” Herbert explains. “When you’re working on global productions or with internationally recognised artists, there’s very little room for hesitation.”

Those expectations extend well beyond technical execution. Film sets and stadium performances operate within complex creative ecosystems where choreography is only one component of a much larger vision. Dancers must understand how their movement contributes to a broader narrative framework, whether that unfolds on stage in front of thousands or through the lens of a camera.

Herbert experienced this dynamic firsthand while working on Better Man, directed by Michael Gracey. The project offered an immersive look into the translation of choreography from stage to screen, an entirely different process from live performance. She was involved both behind the scenes and on screen as a featured dancer across multiple sequences, collaborating with an international creative team whose work spanned choreography, cinematography and storytelling.

Alongside these film experiences, her work with Robbie Williams marked another major milestone in her career. Touring stadium productions and appearing in high profile events such as the AFL Grand Final introduced Herbert to the discipline required to sustain performance at an elite level. The scale of those environments demands extraordinary physical endurance, technical consistency and mental focus across long rehearsal periods and repeated performances.

Performing alongside global artists such as Snoop Dogg further expanded Herbert’s understanding of international creative processes. These productions bring together choreographers, dancers, directors and designers from across the world, forming temporary creative communities built around each project.

Within this environment Herbert has cultivated a distinctive artistic voice shaped by the breadth of her training. Growing up she actively sought out diverse styles and teachers, absorbing both recognised industry expertise and the knowledge of practitioners deeply invested in preserving the foundations of dance.

“At my core, I would say I have a strong jazz foundation,” she says. “But I naturally blend feminine and masculine qualities in my performance, and sometimes even humour, to bring a sense of individuality through the choreographer’s movement.”

Her work draws on the strength and grounded precision of jazz technique, the emotional softness developed through contemporary training, and the rhythmic awareness embedded within hip hop foundations. Rather than existing as separate disciplines, these influences merge within her performance language, allowing her to interpret choreography with a distinctive musical sensitivity.

Despite working across international productions, Herbert’s connection to Melbourne remains deeply embedded in her practice. The city is not simply where her training began, it is also where she discovered her identity as an artist.

“Melbourne is home to me,” she says. “It’s where I grew up, where I discovered my love for dance, and where I really found my footing as an artist.”

That connection has translated into an ongoing commitment to mentorship and community building within the local dance scene. Herbert is acutely aware that many young dancers face a difficult transition once they complete full time training, often without clear guidance on how to continue developing professionally.

“I want young dancers who are in the position I once was to see that there are pathways to keep developing and building a career,” she explains.

This desire to create opportunities led to the founding of The Dance Abysss, an industry night designed to showcase dancers and choreographers in a collaborative performance environment. The concept emerged after Herbert spent time overseas observing creative communities that regularly hosted artist led performance nights where dancers could experiment with choreography and share work outside traditional commercial settings.

Returning to Melbourne, she realised there was no equivalent platform within the local dance landscape. Rather than waiting for someone else to create one, she decided to build it herself.

“I actually started The Dance Abysss Instagram anonymously,” she reveals. “I followed people across the community and kept it very low key who was behind it at first.”

When applications opened for choreographers and dancers to participate in the first event, the response confirmed what Herbert had already sensed. Melbourne’s dance community was eager for a space where artists could present their work to peers and audiences without the constraints of commercial productions.

“The response was honestly overwhelming,” she says. “I couldn’t believe how many people wanted the opportunity to showcase their work.”

The success of The Dance Abysss quickly established it as a vibrant creative gathering point for dancers across Melbourne. Beyond the performances themselves, it fostered connections between artists who may not otherwise have crossed paths within the city’s diverse dance networks.

Herbert’s work as a mentor and teacher further reflects her belief that professional artists carry a responsibility to support the next generation.

“Teaching and mentoring have become a huge passion of mine,” she explains. “The people guiding you during that time can shape not only your training, but also your confidence, work ethic and perspective on what a dance career can look like.”

She believes the behaviours demonstrated by professional artists, both in the studio and publicly, influence young dancers far more than many realise. The way teachers communicate feedback, navigate creative challenges and represent the profession all contribute to shaping students’ expectations of the industry they hope to enter.

Her commitment to nurturing emerging artists has now expanded into a new initiative titled PORTAL, launching this year in Melbourne. The project emerged from conversations with younger dancers who expressed disappointment at being unable to attend The Dance Abysss due to age restrictions.

“A lot of my younger students would tell me how sad they were that they couldn’t attend,” Herbert recalls. “When I started speaking to other teachers across Melbourne, they heard the same from their students.”

At the same time, she noticed how creatively engaged these young dancers already were, choreographing pieces with friends and searching for opportunities to share their work. PORTAL is designed to provide exactly that space, a supportive platform where students can explore choreography and collaboration without the pressures of competition.

“It’s not about competition, and it’s not restricted to any particular style or genre,” she explains. “It’s simply a place where students can create choreography, work with their friends, and connect with a wider dance community.”

While these initiatives continue to strengthen Melbourne’s dance ecosystem, Herbert is simultaneously preparing for the next chapter of her own career. She is currently pursuing an O 1 visa in the United States, a visa category reserved for artists demonstrating extraordinary ability within their field.

The decision reflects both her existing international experience and the realities of the global dance industry. Although Melbourne has a thriving performing arts culture, Herbert notes that many large scale dance productions in Australia are sourced from interstate or overseas, limiting opportunities for dancers working within certain genres.

“For someone working within jazz, heels, contemporary and street influenced styles, Los Angeles really is one of the central hubs of the industry,” she says.

The city’s concentration of film, television, music and live performance opportunities offers an environment where dancers can continually evolve as artists while collaborating with a wide network of creative professionals.

“Pursuing the O 1 visa pathway felt like a natural next step for me because it would allow me to place myself in an environment where there are more opportunities to grow creatively and professionally.”

Yet even as she prepares to expand her career internationally, Herbert sees her work as part of a larger narrative about Australian dancers contributing to global creative industries while remaining connected to the communities that shaped them.

“There are many ways to build a career,” she says. “Sometimes the path looks very different from what you imagined when you first started.”

For young Australian dancers, particularly women navigating a profession often shaped by short term contracts and shifting trends, Herbert hopes her journey demonstrates the value of persistence, artistic growth and self-belief.

“There’s often this idea that because younger dancers are coming up every year, there’s an expiry date on your career,” she reflects. “But I believe that instead of seeing that as a limitation, it pushes you to hold yourself to a higher standard.”

Experience, artistic maturity and personal perspective, she believes, deepen over time and ultimately strengthen a performer’s voice. Careers built on continuous growth and creative curiosity can extend far beyond the narrow timelines often associated with the industry.

At its heart Herbert’s story is one of dual commitment, expanding her own career onto international stages while continuing to invest energy into the creative communities that first shaped her. For Melbourne’s dance scene, her work demonstrates that global ambition and local responsibility are not opposing forces, but interconnected pathways that can strengthen both the artist and the community around them.

“The future is always in your hands,” Herbert says. “You have to be willing to put yourself out there, take risks and create opportunities when they don’t already exist.”