Lisa Pavane was born in Newcastle, NSW and started dancing at age 3. She became passionate about dance and in 1978 joined The Australia Ballet School. In 1981 she joined the Australian Ballet. Lisa created the role of My Fawny in Robert Ray’s Poems; took a principal role in Ray’s City Dances in 1982 and was promoted to soloist in 1983 and Principal Artist in 1986. Lisa undertook the role of an Apparition in Graeme Murphy’s Gallery in 1987 and held principal roles in Stephen Baynes’ Ballade in 1988 and Catalyst in 1990. She danced leading roles in all the major works in the Australian Ballet’s repertoire.
In 1994 Lisa joined the English National Ballet as Senior Principal Ballerina in London and remained there until 1999.
In 2012 Lisa was awarded The Stuart and Norma Leslie Churchill Fellowship to advance the arts in Australia through the teaching of elite vocational ballet in Australia’s national school travelling to the United States of America.
In January 2015 Lisa became the Director of The Australian Ballet School.
Lisa holds a Diploma (Honours) with The Australian Ballet School, an Intensive Diploma Course – Business Administration and Management from Ravenscourt Tutorial College, London, a Vocational Graduate Certificate in Elite Ballet Instruction, Vocational Dance Teaching from The Australian Ballet School, a Graduate Certificate in Professional Education and Training, vocational Education, and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment from Swinburne University of Technology.