Kunstkamer Final Dress Rehearsal

Enter a cabinet of curiosities

Never before has The Australian Ballet presented contemporary dance of this scale and ambition.

Commissioned for the 60th anniversary of Nederlands Dans Theater, the world’s most celebrated contemporary company, Kunstkamer is the joint creation of four choreographers: frequent collaborators Paul Lightfoot and Sol León; Marco Goecke; and the Canadian prodigy Crystal Pite.

Inspired by the 18th-century cabinet of curiosities, this work draws together diverse elements – stark movement, song, film, spoken word – into an eclectic and fascinating whole, bound together by recurring motifs and characters and featuring music by a vast array of composers from Beethoven to Bach to Britten, Janis Joplin to Joby Talbot.

The choreography, moving from the intimacy and humour of solos and pas de deux to intricate waves of ensemble movement, references dance theatre traditions while exploring new frontiers of expression.

Like a modern museum curated with wit and incisive intelligence, Kunstkamer invites you to wonder at the endless possibilities of art.

Australian Ballet Artistic Director David Hallberg will join the company to dance on stage in a series of special guest appearances for Kunstkamer.

Kunstkamer Dress Rehearsal

Thursday 28 April // 7pm
Sydney Opera House

Tickets
$46 – $125*

Members Pre-sale 11am 8 March
General sale 10 March

* All prices include a booking fee
** If you require wheelchair or accessible seating, please contact the office directly on 02 9252 7322 to book.

A $5 handling fee will be charged per transaction for all sales conducted over the phone

Kunstkamer

Choreography Paul Lightfoot, Sol León, Crystal Pite, Marco Goecke
Composers Ludwig van Beethoven, Janis Joplin, Arvo Pärt, Béla Bertók, Franz Schubert, Benjamin Britten, Henry Purcell, Joby Talbot, Johann Strauss Jnr, Christoph W Gluck, Chavela Vargas, Ólafur Arnalds
Costume design Joke Visser, Hermien Hollander
Original lighting design Tom Bevoort, Udo Haberland, Tom Visser
Film Rahi Rezvani

World Première 3 October 2019,
Zuiderstrandtheater, The Hague, the Netherlands

IMPORTANT BOOKING INFORMATION

The Kunstkamer Final Dress Rehearsal is going ahead with capacity in line with current NSW Government restrictions. This capacity may change. All sales are subject to The Friends COVID Ticketing Policy.

The Friends ticket allocation for dress rehearsals is provided by The Australian Ballet and begins at Row N in the Stalls.

You must a hold a current Friends membership to book tickets at the Friends member price. The non-member ticket price includes a 12-month membership to the Friends.

If you selected to receive a credit for any performances or events that were cancelled in 2020/21, you can use this credit to book for this performance. To book using your credit or check your current balance, please call the office on 02 9252 7322.

Physical tickets are no longer being issued. Prior to the performance, a digital ticket will be sent to the email address provided at the time of booking.

The Sydney Opera House currently requires that all guests aged 16 years and over are double vaccinated with a Covid-19 vaccine unless lawfully exempt (under 16s not fully vaccinated must be accompanied by a fully vaccinated adult from their household).

Face masks are required for patrons aged 12 years and over while inside the foyers and theatres, including during the performance. The Sydney Opera House recommends children aged 11 years an younger wear a mask at all times.

All patrons and visitors will be asked to check-in via QR code on arrival at the Sydney Opera House.

SAFETY WITH THE FRIENDS

The Friends are working hard to make you feel confident returning to the Ballet!

To help you feel secure when booking tickets, we are offering:

  • Account credits if you are sick and unable to attend Dress Rehearsal performances.
  • If a performance is cancelled, your choice of a refund, credit, or donation will be processed within 21 days of request.

Terms and Conditions apply as outlined in The Friends COVID Ticketing Policy.

 

SAFETY AT THE OPERA HOUSE

The Sydney Opera House and its food and beverage centres are registered as COVID Safe businesses with the NSW Government. To ensure a safe and comfortable environment for everyone, the Opera House has a number of COVID safe measures are in place for the safety and wellbeing of everyone on site:

  • Patrons and visitors aged 16 years and over entering the building or attending the Opera House’s bars and restaurants are required to show they are fully vaccinated unless lawfully exempt (under 16s not fully vaccinated must be accompanied by a fully vaccinated adult from their household);
  • Face masks are required for patrons aged 12 years and over while inside our foyers and theatres unless lawfully exempt. We highly recommend children aged 11 years and younger wear a mask at all times;
  • QR code check-in – all patrons and their guests must continue to check-in upon entry with the Service NSW QR code;
  • Reduced theatre capacities – venue capacity is currently limited to 75%. Please note that you may be seated directly alongside other patrons;
  • Well maintained and effective air conditioning systems that maximise ventilation with fresh air;
  • Regular cleaning of high-traffic and high-touch areas with hospital-grade disinfectant;
  • Hand sanitiser stations available in paths of travel, frequently accessed areas and near bathroom facilities; and
  • COVID-19 safety training for all operational, frontline and contract staff, as well as on-site COVID-19 Safe Hygiene Marshals.

The Opera House is closely following all NSW Government health guidelines and will continue to update its policies and procedures as necessary.

View Sydney Opera House’s website for further information to Plan Your Visit and view Terms and Conditions.

 

ABOUT DRESS REHEARSALS

The Friends of The Australian Ballet are fortunate to invite our members and guests to attend the dress rehearsal for The Australian Ballet’s Sydney season of Kunstkamer.

Join us for this exclusive opportunity to go behind the scenes as The Australian Ballet fine-tunes a production to performance standard.

What is a Dress Rehearsal?

A Dress Rehearsal provides a small window into the world of creating a performance and gives an impression of the final production. It is part of the creative process of getting an event ready for a season and may be stopped at any time by a member of the Creative team. The Artistic Director or other members of the Creative team may interrupt the rehearsal to speak to dancers or musicians, and some part of the performance may be repeated. You will experience first-hand the meticulous standards of all performers.

The Creative team may, at their discretion, determine a Dress Rehearsal is no longer open to the public and we may be asked to leave the auditorium. As such, there is no guarantee that a full performance will be seen during a Dress Rehearsal.

The exact timing of the Dress Rehearsal is subject to change dependant on the requirements of the Creative team.

Can I applaud?

An attentive audience can applaud at appropriate moments.

If the rehearsal is stopped by members of the Creative team, please remain quiet so that performers are not distracted and can receive clear instruction from the team.

Please remain quiet throughout the rehearsal, including the period used by Creative time to go over sections of music, dance, lighting, scene changes or other aspects of the production which need adjustment.


Where will I sit and when can I leave?

The Australian Ballet makes limited seats available to certain groups. The Friends allocation typically begins at Row N of the Stalls.

Similar rules for general performances apply to a dress rehearsal. The use of mobile pones is prohibited during the Dress Rehearsal – including photography, flashlights and other functionality. All devices should be switched completely off.

You must remain seated until give the signal to leave by either the Stage Manager or the Artistic Director. At no time should you leave the auditorium until the house lights have been switched on.

Latecomers will not be admitted until a break in the program. If you must leave early, leave at interval.

 

Become a Friends member to be among the first to purchase tickets for Friends Dress Rehearsals

“Ballet is better with Friends.”

– FRIENDS OF THE AUSTRALIAN BALLET

The Friends of The Australian Ballet acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the traditional custodians of the land on which we meet, create, work and perform.
We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

Friends of The Australian Ballet
The Arts Exchange Building
Level 4, 10 Hickson Road
The Rocks NSW 2000

PO Box 61
Millers Point NSW 2000

+61 2 9252 7322 | admin@fab.org.au