The Australian Ballet Story

6 April 2013

Fiona — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 07:51:01 +0000

Ty King-Wall is promoted to principal artist onstage after performing as Basilio in Don Quixote. King-Wall, whom Artistic Director David McAllister describes as “a born prince”, was singled out early in his career by Tim Harbour, who made the role of Ceyx in Halcyon on him, and Graeme Murphy, who chose him to play the lead role of Octavian in The Silver Rose. In the lead-up to his promotion, he had danced major principal roles such as Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake and Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly, and shone as the Principal Man in Ètudes at The Australian Ballet’s 50th Anniversary Gala.

16 March 2013

Fiona — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 07:38:26 +0000

The Russian superstars Natalia Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev, principal artists with both the Mikhailovsky Ballet and American Ballet Theatre (Osipova would, in addition, join The Royal Ballet later that year) find time in their busy schedules to perform with The Australian Ballet in Don Quixote. The roles of Basilio and Kitri are signature roles for the on-and-offstage partners, and they wow audiences and inspire the company with their technical pyrotechnics and cheeky charm.

19 December 2012

Fiona — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 05:03:17 +0000

After 50 years and more than 6,400 performances with The Australian Ballet, founding member Colin Peasley hangs up his dancing shoes. His last performance as a member of the company is at the Sydney Opera House on December 19 in Swan Lake, which was also the first ballet performed by the new company in 1962.

2 November 2012

Fiona — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 04:50:42 +0000

The Australian Ballet celebrates its “actual” birthday with a lavish gala, held at Arts Centre Melbourne and beamed to live sites and regional cinemas around the country. International guests from American Ballet Theatre, Stuttgart Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, National Ballet of China and The Tokyo Ballet perform a series of classical and contemporary gems, and the night ends with The Australian Ballet taking the stage in the exuberant Études. The curtain calls are enlivened by fizzing golden fireworks, and the company’s living former directors – Maina Gielgud, Marilyn Jones and Marilyn Rowe – take their bow with current artistic director David McAllister and Margaret Scott, the founder of The Australian Ballet School. A roaring standing ovation ends the night.

18 September 2012

Fiona — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 06:50:09 +0000

Resident Choreographer Stephen Baynes creates a new version of Swan Lake in honour of The Australian Ballet’s first performance in 1962. Ballet audiences, who haven’t seen the company perform a traditional version of this ballet classic since 1997, are delighted. And the critics agree. Australian Stage Online says “Everything about Swan Lake is flawless – the tragic romance, the superb choreography and elegant prose represented through elongated limbs and stunning movement”.

12 June 2012

Fiona — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 06:34:25 +0000

Artistic Director David McAllister curates a diverse program to show off the depth and versatility of the company on a tour to New York City, including Stephen Page’s Waramuk – in the dark night, Wayne McGregor’s Dyad 1929 and Graeme Murphy’s Swan Lake. The result? Standing ovations every night and plaudits from new fans in the world’s dance mecca.

January 1988

Fiona — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 01:20:35 +0000

In this very special video, former Principal Artist Lisa Bolte remembers being chosen to dance the lead in The Sleeping Beauty at the age of 21.

December 1972

Fiona — Wed, 23 May 2012 05:26:48 +0000

In this video of rare film footage, Colin Peasley reminisces about filming Rudolf Nureyev’s Don Quixote.

11 February 2012

Fiona — Thu, 03 May 2012 07:25:39 +0000

The Australian Ballet holds the first of its 50th birthday celebrations – an ‘alumni’ party for past and present staff. The company’s former dancers fly in from all over the world, and there are many joyous reunions and memories shared.

21 April 2009

Fiona — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 07:01:08 +0000

After a successful implementation in metropolitan and regional Victoria and NSW, the ballet further invests in order to extend Out There – The Australian Ballet in schools to other states.