by FAB Admin | Feb 18, 2020 | Australian Ballet, Ballet, Latest News
It may be halfway through February, but as the 2020 season has not yet begun, we’d like to wish our readers a Happy New Year!
As we leave behind the beautiful 2019 Year of Enchantment, we cannot wait to announce some new happenings in this little joint!
David McAllister – Courtesy of Aus. Ballet
First off, as most of our members would know, this Year of Limitless Possibilities also doubles as David McAllister’s final year as Artistic Director of the Company. After two decades of brilliant service, we are sure David’s departure will be in the forefront of all Australian Ballet proceedings this season. If you’ve received our newsletter, you may remember that on Wednesday 18th of November we will be holding a Farewell Lunch for David. If you’re interested in meeting David at one of his last events as Artistic Director, make sure to pencil in that date and we promise to keep you posted.
Australian Ballet Company – Courtesy of the Aus. Ballet.
Focusing on the Friends now, we are thrilled to announce our new series, ‘Friends in Conversation,’ where we bring a special guest to talk about their area of expertise within the ballet world. Last year, many of our members asked for more talks and conversation with ballet folk, so we’ve decided to launch this new series in 2020. Kicking the series off, this week, Executive Director Libby Christie will divulge in the operations and logistics of the Australian Ballet. The Australian Ballet can only survive with someone running the business committee, and to understand how the company has survived through the ages, you’ll have to ask Libby yourself. However, if you can’t make it this Thursday, next week we will begin selling tickets to our next conversation with the Director of Production and Planning, Chris Yates on the 16th April.
As usual, we are holding our ‘Meet the New Dancers 2020’ event this year on the 31st of March at the Royal Automobile Club of Australia. Nine talented dancers have been inducted into the company this year, all coming from our own Australian Ballet School. Most notably, the recipient of the Friends of the Australian Ballet 2019 Annual Scholarship, Belle Urwin, was inducted to be apart of the 2020 Australian Ballet Company! This scholarship is awarded to a NSW dancer to assist them in their final year of training at the Australian Ballet School. Congrats to all nine dancers, we are all so excited to see you on stage soon!
The 2020 shows; Volt, Anna Karenina, Molto, The Happy Prince and Harlequinade, are now just on the horizons. We’ll be sure to keep you posted on all our social media (Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn) as well as on here to make sure our Friends are all set for a Year of Limitless Possibilities. To find out more about the season, check out our previous blog posts to get a brief overview of the season!
by FAB Admin | Jan 28, 2020
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO THE ONGOING COVID-19 SITUATION.
IF YOU HAVE PURCHASED A TICKET AND HAVE NOT BEEN CONTACTED BY OUR BOX OFFICE, PLEASE EMAIL ADMIN@FAB.ORG.AU
by FAB Admin | Dec 4, 2019 | Australian Ballet
As 2019 draws to a close, we are looking to 2020 and are thrilled to be sharing The Australian Ballet’s Year of Limitless Possibilities with our Friends.
The launch of the 2020 Season has formed a clear promise from The Australian Ballet; a promise to transform and transcend any creative or artistic boundaries and we are happy to accompany you as we explore this transformative season. The season is an ode to the fantastic service of David McAllister, but also a confirmation that the company shows no sign of slowing down.
The Australian Ballet has grown immensely under David’s leadership, with the 2020 season featuring strong collaborations with international companies such as the Joffrey Ballet and the American Ballet Theatre in the performances of Anna Karenina and Harlequinade.
Anna Karenina pushes the traditional format for ballets, becoming an epic ballad of love, drama and loss. The company has pushed the envelope with modernized Hollywood-style costumes and mesmerizing choreography created by former Bolshoi Ballet principal dancer, Yuri Possokhov.
Anna Karenina, photo Justin Ridler
In an all-exclusive Melbourne run, Harlequinade will bring plenty of colour and fun to our Australian stages in the 2020 season. This cheeky, bubbly ballet is a classic story of forbidden love, with a twist of mischief and magic as Harlequin fights with an enchanted slap stick for Columbine’s hand in marriage.
Harlequinade, photo Justin Ridler
Volt will have The Company broadcasting their innovation and artistic voice. Alongside two works from the visionary Wayne McGregor, this program features a new work from The Australian Ballet’s Alice Topp, who delighted us this year with the Helpmann Award-winning Aurum. McGregor and Topp will see Volt light up a new style of expression and push all notions of how dance should be to the edge.
Volt, photo Justin Ridler
Molto revives a trio of the most bold and adventurous performances from the last 50 years, satisfying all your needs and desires from a quick trip to the ballet. In a crash-course performance of recent greats, Molto celebrates the successes of the modern ballet world, sparking excitement for the future of dance.
Molto, photo Justin Ridler
David’s tenure as Artistic Director began by commissioning Graeme Murphy’s Swan Lake, and it seems fitting that The Happy Prince, Murphy’s new ballet, will open David’s final season in 2020. The international premiere of The Happy Prince has placed our Opera House at the center of global attention, proving that our company has once again, soared over our expectations in this year of Limitless Possibilities.
The Happy Prince, photo Justin Ridler
Like always, we will keep you updated with all details throughout the season. Join us in a pivotal year at The Australian Ballet, as we relish on our past successes and turn towards a bright future.
by FAB Admin | Sep 30, 2019 | Australian Ballet, Ballet, Latest News
The launch of the 2020 Season has formed a clear promise from The Australian Ballet; a promise from the company to transform and transcend any creative or artistic boundaries in next year’s season. The departure of much-loved Artistic Director David McAllister has resulted in the creation of an exciting season that pays homage to his dedication to continuously push and innovate The Australian Ballet over the past two decades. In a fitting manner, the theme of the 2020 Season has been named “Limitless Possibilities,” with the company promising to look within and push themselves to a realm “where the possibilities are endless.”
The Happy Prince
Photography Justin Ridler
Headlining our 2020 Season is Graeme Murphy and Kim Carpenter’s imaginative new ballet, The Happy Prince, inspired by the classic Oscar Wilde tale of the same name. This colourful celebration of humanity with a modernised Aussie flair sends a message of kindness to all ages, a message decorated within Murphy’s innovative choreography. This all-Australian world premiere debuts an original score from the renowned composer Christopher Gordon, who has had great successes on his past projects, such as his composing of the score to the film Mao’s Last Dancer. The debut of this ballet has placed our very own Australian Ballet at the world’s centre stage, and we can promise that all eyes will be on our Opera House next summer.
Volt
Photography Justin Ridler
The Company will be broadcasting their own innovative and artistic voice with Volt. This program features two works from the visionary Wayne McGregor and a new piece from The Australian Ballet’s Alice Topp. McGregor has built his reputation for experimentation and distinct artistry over the past decade, and continues to push all preconceived notions of how dance should be. Alice Topp, recent recipient of the Helpmann Award for her work in Aurum last year, will present her new work, Logos, a co-commission by Studio Wayne McGregor, The Australian Ballet and Dance@The Grange. Topp’s involvement will ensure Volt will embody her innovative and artistic voice, which combined with McGregor’s Chroma and DYAD, will see Volt light up a new style of expression. This dynamic duo is leaning over the edge to a new era of cunning change, promising us a performance for the books.
Anna Karenina
Photography Justin Ridler
An ambitious crossover of cinematic drama and the poise of ballet. The 2020 Season welcomes Anna Karenina, an epic tragedy of a woman who follows her heart and desires into her demise. The performance flaunts every asset of the current Australian Ballet, with exquisite costumes, dramatic staging, stellar technique but, the impact of the beautiful story cannot be underestimated.The strict, high society of Imperial Russia looks down upon a woman who follows love, thus, Anna is heartlessly excluded as she desperately tries to escape an empty marriage, with her only respite being in a fiery affair with a handsome young officer, Vronsky. Former principal dancer of Bolshoi Ballet and San Francisco Ballet Yuri Possokhov takes a seat in the choreographer’s chair to reinvent Tolstoy’s immortal novel. Adding to the drama of the spectacle, the performance will also feature a mezzo soprano singing live on stage. The performance combines elements that have not yet been related on our stage, perfectly forming a gripping story of agony and hope.
Molto
Photography Justin Ridler
The Australian Ballet sets the stage for a vividly light and dramatic story of Molto next season, focusing on the bright, passionate and chaotic elements of the art form. Molto offers three works, two by The Australian Ballet resident choreographers Stephen Baynes and Tim Harbour and one by Frederick Ashton. Ashton, a giant of 20th Century dance, creates a playful story of love in A Month in the Country, where Natalia seeks excitement outside of her boring marriage, encouraging the advances of an older admirer. Upon engaging, she realises her true desires are directed towards her son’s tutor, but this last pursuit is not void of competition. Chopin’s sounds and Julia Trevelyan Oman’s designs set the mood for the eloquent pas de deux, framed by all the show’s beautiful elements partnering in harmony. The two works that follow consequentially are created under the keen eye of our two resident choreographers, Baynes and Harbour. Harbour’s Squander in Glory is a fast and sharp movement piece for 14 dancers, with Kelvin Ho’s elusive mirrored set creating an eye-tricking backdrop for the piece. The final act, and the namesake of the ballet, Baynes’ Molto Vivace, is a light-hearted frolic of flirting and manners, before the performance morphs into a mayhem of colour. The flavourful performance of complex emotions has brought a transformed tradition into a modern era.
Harlequinade
Photography Justin Ridler
The Season finishes with a bright stroke of colour in Harlequinade, a comedic peformance with commedia dell’arte characters who stylistically express themselves through steps of ballet. Harlequin and Columbine are in love, but as Columbine is set to marry an older and richer fellow, she is locked up by her father’s loyal servant, Pierrot. Pierrot’s wife, however, is sympathetic to the young couple, freeing Columbine as Harlequin is given a magical slap stick by the Good Fairy. In a extravagant spectacle of movement and colour, Harlequin aims to win Columbine’s hand through love and magic. In this Melbourne-exclusive season, Harlequinade will charm its viewers and is set to return to it’s former popularity from before the 1917 Russian Revolution.
