The 22-year-old this week flew out to Canada where he has accepted a 10-month contract with the Alberta Ballet company, based in Calgary.

He will spend the next few weeks acclimatising to the high-altitude location before rehearsals get underway on September 4.​

“It’s a phenomenal company that has really good repertoire. It was what I was looking for,” he said.

Zach had travelled to Canada and Europe during January and February to audition for a number of ballet companies and was delighted to receive four offers overall.

It was the first time he has auditioned internationally and said he “loved it” and that it was an “eye opener”.

“I wanted to see what was out there and give it a try. 

“I met hundreds of other dancers and you learn a lot about the different companies. It’s quite tough as there are a lot of people.

“In Berlin there were 600 dancers in the room and you have to be able to stand out.”

He sees his position with the Alberta Ballet as a chance to grow as a person and to develop into a more rounded dancer. 

“I’ll definitely push myself and my technique. There is always something to gain. 

“This company, actually all of Canada, is American technique, which is very fast, and I’ve had a lot of Russian training which is very turned out and slow.

“American technique has a lot of turns and whips, which will be more of a challenge for me, especially as I’m so tall.”

Zach said his days will include ballet classes and rehearsals. “A show rehearses for four or five weeks.” 

He estimates about seven seasons of shows during his contract, with tours around Calgary and Edminton.

With ballet companies only signing dancers year to year he plans to make the most of it. 

“I’ve never had a long-term goal. I’ve wanted to dance and I do it. I’m taking it one day at a time and one contract at a time.

“Sometimes to get a job you have to be in the right place at the right time. Thousands want to make it as a dancer and only a lucky few will.

“I consider myself very lucky I get to do this job and I’m lucky to be with a company I wanted to be with.”

Zach was 13 when he started dance classes, initially with Studio 1 Performance Centre in Taree, before transferring to the Andrea Rowsell Academy of Dance to learn from male teacher Julian Lankshear.

When he was 15 he successfully auditioned for full-time study at the Australian Ballet School and after a number of years moved to Newcastle to join the National College of Dance.

Zach was then accepted into the Queensland Ballet pre-professional program, where he spent two years, both on scholarships. “I worked alongside the Queensland Ballet and was an extra company member,” he said.

Following the pre-professional course he was accepted for the Jette Parker Young Artist Program. He finished up at the end of last year before his audition tour at the start of the year.

Zach is the son of Cathy and Graeme Dun and brother to Cooper and Samara and said his family has been an enormous support.

“Especially my parents! They've worked so hard to provide a platform for me and my success is a real testament to them.”

When he got the news he’d been offered a position at Alberta he called his dad. “I told him and he said that it was really awesome”.

He also appreciates the support from the Taree community.

Zach was a regular competitor in the Taree and District Eisteddfod growing up and while at the National College of Dance in Newcastle. 

He also received the Roma Liggins Perpetual Scholarship in 2013. “They have helped me out incredibly and been so supportive.”

This year he came back to volunteer at the eisteddfod over the group dance weekend, his roles including stage manager and pencilling for the adjudicator. “My sister still dances here so I watched her too.” 

He also ran scholarship classes for the Andrea Rowsell Academy of Dance and announced the winners on its presentation day.