New York Dialects
New York Dialects
6 – 24 April // Dress Rehearsal 5 April
Sydney Opera House
A collection of George Balanchine’s game-changing classics, ‘Serenade’ and ‘The Four Temperaments,’ tied together by an unseen work from a 21st century mastermind.
Serenade
The future is free, flowing and female. The 2021 Season is set to whisk us away with Balanchine’s ‘Serenade,’ which is described to be a “poetry of women in long ice-blue tutus.” Principal Artist Amber Scott is thrilled to be starring alongside the fierce female talents of the company to the tune of Tchaikovsky’s ‘Serenade for Strings in C.’
Hallberg’s Thoughts
“No other ballet has given me more satisfaction as an audience member than Serenade.”
The Four Temperament
Where Serenade implores escapism, Balanchine’s ‘The Four Temperaments’ will ignite the stage. This piece is a hallmark of Balanchine’s innovative neo-classical style, which galvanised modern ballet and sparked evolution within the traditional art form. The technical, stripped-back movements, accompanied by Paul Hindemith’s score, will explore each of the four medieval humours that were believed to govern personality types.
Hallberg’s Thoughts
“The final pose at the end of TFT continues to haunt me.”
Tanowitz: New York
From walking the hallowed halls of the New York City Ballet, The Royal Ballet, and the modern companies of Martha Graham and Paul Taylor, Pam Tanowitz has set her sights on our Opera House.
Tanowitz’ exploration of gender roles using the male talent of The Australian Ballet is set to uproot performance language as we know it. In Hallberg’s first commission at The Australian Ballet, he seeks to express modern, progressive thinking though the stunning language of tradition.
To partner Tanowitz’ exciting creative vision, Pulitzer-Prize winning composer Caroline Shaw will partner her concerto, ‘Watermark,’ to this game-changing commission.
Hallberg’s Thoughts
“Tanowitz is one of our generation’s most intelligent creators: focused, insightful and original, just as Balanchine was.”
Counterpointe
Counterpointe
27 April – 15 May // Dress Rehearsal 26 April
Sydney Opera House
In an exploration of movement, and a new, sensual language of ports de bras, this elegant 19th century classic Raymonda is combined with the fierce attack of Artifact Suite by William Forsythe is set to spark innovation through a study of tradition.
Artifact Suite
From the strict, prim-and-proper depths of traditional European Dance, Forsythe challenges dances through extended shapes and reimagined technique. Cut-throat speed, dynamic directions and extensions of human physical capabilities will characterise our stages, set to the contrasting musical partnership of Bach’s smooth Chaconne and the heart-kicking thrills of composer Eva Crossman-Hecht.
Raymonda (Act III)
Raymonda depicts the traditional wedding of the hero and heroine, showcasing sparkling technique and classical expression, held strongly by Hungarian character dance styles. The performance continuously builds to one of the most famous solos for leading ballerina’s, staged by our Artistic Director himself, David Hallberg.
Hallberg’s Thoughts
“Raymonda adheres to tradition and pageantry; Forsythe took this history and ‘imitated’ it, creating a work that overwhelms both dancers and audience with gestural references given new meaning.”
Virtual Farewell | David McAllister AM
A virtual celebration of The Australian Ballet’s longest-serving artistic director – the extraordinary David McAllister – as he prepares to bid farewell to The Company. Take a trip down memory lane with a compilation of some of David’s most memorable moments from the archives. Hear from David’s nearest and dearest as they reflect on his legacy and share some of their favourite anecdotes from his tenure as an artist and leader of the company.
Virtual Book Launch | David McAllister ‘Soar’
On Tuesday 29 September 2020, David McAllister, in conversation with co-hosts Catriona Rowntree and Amanda Dunn, celebrated the publication of his memoir, Soar: A Life Freed by Dance. Re-watch the recording of the virtual book launch and re-live the intimate reading of one of David’s favourite excerpts and interactive Q&A session.