INSTRUMENTS OF DANCE FINAL DRESS REHEARSAL

INSTRUMENTS OF DANCE FINAL DRESS REHEARSAL

In this contemporary triple bill, resident choreographers from three of the world’s top companies respond to scores from modern-day composers working in very different musical fields.

Justin Peck, resident choreographer of New York City Ballet, has invigorated the company with his fresh take on classical technique. He makes his Australian debut with Everywhere We Go. Set to a score commissioned from indie singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens, costumed in witty nautical stripes, it’s a nine-part ballet for 25 dancers who stream in and out of complex group formations and pin-sharp pas de deux. Like his predecessors at New York City Ballet, George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, Peck brings the energy of Hollywood and Broadway to the classical stage.

Wayne McGregor’s all-male Obsidian Tear takes us to the shadowy depths of the planet – and the psyche. McGregor, the rigorously cerebral resident choreographer of The Royal Ballet, assembles movement around multi-disciplinary explorations: in this case, into geology, myth and the violent effects of emotion on the body. Responding to violin works by the Finnish conductor-composer Esa-Pekka Salonen, McGregor moves away from the hyperextended, piston-fast movement of works like Chroma and Dyad 1929, finding a more flowing and introspective movement quality. Nine men circle and clash, evoking ritual, brutality, sensuality and the tectonic forces that mould the earth.

The third resident choreographer of the program is The Australian Ballet’s own, Alice Topp. Her new work, Annealing, will feature Australian design and a commissioned score by Australian composer Bryony Marks, and will continue her journey into the emotional core of human experience.

Bringing together fascinating works from three corners of the globe, Instruments of Dance maps the shape of the art form in the 21st century.

Date

Wednesday 9 November, 7pm
Joan Sutherland Theatre
Sydney Opera House

Members Pre-Sale

Wednesday 14 September, 11am

General Sale

Wednesday 21 September, 11am

Tickets

$46 to $125*

“The connection between music and dance can be the greatest marriage. Justin, Wayne and Alice all hear the music they create to differently, which makes for three varying interpretations…This is a compelling program both for our dancers and our audiences.”

— David Hallberg, Artistic Director of The Australian Ballet

* All prices include a booking fee. A $5 handling fee will be charged per transaction for all sales conducted over the phone.

If you are a member of The Ballet Society Victoria or The Ballet Society South Australia, we would be delighted for you to join us at this event. Please contact your state for details of how to book with us at the member price.

The Ballet Society Victoria
vic@theballetsociety.org.au
(03) 9669 2591

The Ballet Society South Australia
sa@theballetsociety.org.au
0478 034 579

If you require wheelchair or accessible seating, please contact the office directly on (02) 9252 7322 to book.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Everywhere We Go

Choreography Justin Peck
Composer Sufjan Stevens
Costume Design Janie Taylor
Original Lighting Design Brandon Stirling Baker
Set Design Karl Jensen

Obsidian Tear

Obsidian Tear was originally commissioned by The Royal Ballet and Boston Ballet and had its premiere at The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, on 28 May 2016.

Choreography and Set design Wayne McGregor
Composer Esa-Pekka Salonen
Fashion Director and Designers Katie Shillingford, Craig Green, Hood By Air, Julius, Gareth Pugh, Assaf Reeb, Christopher Shannon, Telfar, Vivienne Westwood
Lighting Design Lucy Carter
Dramaturge Uzma Hameed

Annealing

Choreography Alice Topp
Composer Bryony Marks 

With Opera Australia Orchestra and Orchestra Victoria

Alice Topp’s Annealing is generously supported by The Dame Margaret Scott Fund for Choreographers and The Robert & Elizabeth Albert Music Fund.

BOOKING INFORMATION

The Instruments of Dance 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 Ballet Society NSW Terms and Conditions 

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 membership with The Ballet Society to book tickets at the member price.

If you selected to receive a credit for any performances or events that were cancelled in 2020/2021, 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 from The Australian Ballet will be sent to the email address provided at the time of booking.

For information about what the Sydney Opera House is doing to ensure patron safety at events like the Instruments of Dance Final Dress Rehearsal, please click here.

ABOUT DRESS REHEARSALS

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 dependent 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 Ballet Society, New South Wales allocation typically begins at Row N of the Stalls.

Similar rules for general performances apply to a dress rehearsal. The use of mobile phones 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 Member of The Ballet Society New South Wales to be among the first to purchase tickets for Dress Rehearsals.

 

ROMEO AND JULIET FINAL DRESS REHEARSAL

ROMEO AND JULIET FINAL DRESS REHEARSAL

In the history of dance, there are only a handful of productions that translate Shakespeare’s story of tragic love into compelling ballet form. John Cranko’s majestic version is one of them. His Romeo and Juliet premiered in 1962, the year The Australian Ballet was founded, and generations of our dancers have grown up with the production and gone on to shine in its many dream roles.

An artist who effortlessly fused dance and drama, Cranko richly evokes the grandeur of the Capulets’ ball, the fierce clashes of the rival families and the brief, luminous flare of young love. His choreography seems to flow spontaneously out of Sergei Prokofiev’s score, which has proven itself as immortal as Shakespeare’s play. As clearly as words could, the music lays out the progress of the story, evoking swordplay, ecstasy, murder and the looming approach of the lovers’ fate.

Jürgen Rose’s dramatically resonant design captures the pageantry of medieval Verona, contrasting the heavy splendour of the aristocratic elder generation with the billowing fabrics of the young lovers’ carefree abandon.

Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet binds artists and audiences in a profound emotional experience that will linger long after the curtain falls.

Date

Wednesday 30 November, 7pm
Joan Sutherland Theatre
Sydney Opera House

Members Pre-Sale

Wednesday 5 October, 11am

General Sale

Wednesday 12 October, 11am

Tickets

$46 to $125*

“As an audience member, the most touching aspect of Romeo and Juliet is the unfolding of the story in front of your very eyes. I have danced performances of Romeo where the audience was with us in every scene; they become a part of the ballet. I lost myself through expressions of love, elation, vengeance and ultimately death; and the audience left the performance as heartbroken as the characters on stage.”

— David Hallberg, Artistic Director of The Australian Ballet

* All prices include a booking fee. A $5 handling fee will be charged per transaction for all sales conducted over the phone.

If you are a Member of The Ballet Society Victoria or The Ballet Society South Australia, we would be delighted for you to join us at this event. Please contact your state for details of how to book with us at the Member price.

The Ballet Society Victoria
vic@theballetsociety.org.au
(03) 9669 2591

The Ballet Society South Australia
sa@theballetsociety.org.au
0478 034 579

If you require wheelchair or accessible seating, please contact the office directly on (02) 9252 7322 to book.

“These violent delights have violent ends …”

– William Shakespeare

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Choreography John Cranko
Composer Sergei Prokofiev
Guest Repetiteur and Stager Yseult Lendvai
Costume and Set Design Jürgen Rose
Lighting Design Jon Buswell
Guest Repetiteur Mark Kay

With Opera Australia Orchestra and Orchestra Victoria

BOOKING INFORMATION

The Romeo and Juliet 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 Ballet Society NSW Terms and Conditions 

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 membership with The Ballet Society to book tickets at the member price.

If you selected to receive a credit for any performances or events that were cancelled in 2020/2021, 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 from The Australian Ballet will be sent to the email address provided at the time of booking.

For information about what the Sydney Opera House is doing to ensure patron safety at events like the Romeo and Juliet Dress Rehearsal, please click here.

ABOUT DRESS REHEARSALS

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 dependent 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 Ballet Society, New South Wales allocation typically begins at Row N of the Stalls.

Similar rules for general performances apply to a dress rehearsal. The use of mobile phones 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 Member of The Ballet Society New South Wales to be among the first to purchase tickets for Dress Rehearsals.

 

Kunstkamer

Kunstkamer

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.

The final dress rehearsal for Kunstkamer will be on Thursday 28 April, 7pm at Sydney Opera House.

Tickets for the final dress rehearsal of The Australian Ballet’s Kunstkamer, are on sale Tuesday 11am 8 March!

IN ACCORDANCE WITH GOVERNMENT RESTRICTIONS proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or valid medical exemption will be required for anyone over the age of sixteen to attend this dress rehearsal.

5 Reasons to See Anna Karenina

5 Reasons to See Anna Karenina

With Anna Karenina finally open in Melbourne and soon due to arrive in Sydney, here are five reasons why you need to see this not to be missed co-production from The Australian Ballet and Joffrey Ballet.

PASSION TO MOVE YOU

The story of Anna, whose life-destroying desire for the handsome and faithless Vronsky is palpable through a series of rapturous pas de deux.

Soloist Imogen Chapman who is dancing the role of Anna says “You really get taken on that journey with Anna and Vronsky. I feel like audiences will really relate to that, and go on this journey with the characters,”

 

Robyn Hendricks and Callum Linnane, photo Jeff Busby, courtesy of The Australian Ballet

 

GLAMOUR AND GRANDEUR

The costumes by veteran theatre designer Tom Pye capture the elegance of Imperial Russian society with luxurious fabrics and jewel tones.

 

A BALLET LIKE A MOVIE

Chicago’s PBS station, WWTW, called Possokhov’s Anna Karenina “A magnificent classical ballet in the guise of a great work of modern cinema.” Pye’s opulent yet minimal sets and projections by Finn Ross (Harry Potter and The Cursed Child) – which include footage of the dancers taken backstage in real time – conjure ballrooms, bedrooms, a race track and that fateful train station, lending a filmic scale and atmosphere to this immersive piece of theatre.

Robyn Hendricks and Callum Linnane, photo Jeff Busby, courtesy of The Australian Ballet

 

THE MUSIC

Teaming up with the Joffrey Ballet to co-produce Anna Karenina meant that the ballet could have specially commissioned music by multi-award-winning composer Ilya Demutsky. Inspired by Tolstoy, Demutsky has created a sweeping, textured score with all the scale and grandeur of his countrymen Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev. A mezzo soprano will appear at key moments to amplify Anna’s emotion through song.

 

THE ROLE OF A LIFETIME

A very human heroine, Anna holds our sympathy even as she flounders into disaster. She adores, she suffers, she is torn between her life and the love of her life – no wonder actors from Greta Garbo to Vivien Leigh to Keira Knightly have been attracted to the role. We can’t wait to see our brilliant dancers embody Anna.

 

Robyn Hendricks as Anna, photo Jeff Busby, courtesy of The Australian Ballet

 

Tickets for final dress rehearsal performance of Anna Karenina on Monday 4 April at the Sydney Opera House are available now. Click here to secure yours.

Anna Karenina

Anna Karenina

The Australian Ballet are welcoming you back to the theatre with the exquisite and tragic Anna Karenina.

Cinematic staging, elegant costumes and Yuri Possokhov’s sensual choreography illuminate the tragedy of Anna Karenina, whose desire brings about her ruin. When Anna meets Vronsky, a handsome young officer, the instant connection between them flames into an affair – with disastrous consequences. Anna leaves her conservative husband and relinquishes her son to be with her lover, but her bliss is fleeting, and when Vronsky’s passion cools she takes desperate action.

Possokhov, formerly a principal dancer with Bolshoi Ballet and San Francisco Ballet and now a major international choreographer, does full justice to Tolstoy’s novel, distilling its central romances and conflicts into a fast-moving, immersive narrative.

Anna Karenina shows the power of storytelling through the beauty of dance.”
David Hallberg, Artistic Director of The Australian Ballet

After standing ovations and critical acclaim in its debut season, the final dress rehearsal for Anna Karenina will be on Monday 4 April, 7pm at Sydney Opera House.

Tickets for the final dress rehearsal of The Australian Ballet’s Anna Karenina, are on sale now!
BOOK

IN ACCORDANCE WITH GOVERNMENT RESTRICTIONS proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or valid medical exemption will be required for anyone over the age of sixteen to attend this dress rehearsal.