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Some of the text in The Australian Ballet timeline is adapted from essays in Luminous. These were written by Valerie Lawson (The Sixties), Jill Sykes (The Seventies), Lee Christofis (The Eighties), Michael Shmith (The Nineties) and Deborah Jones (The New Millennium).
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17 September 2002
David McAllister’s first commission as artistic director is Graeme Murphy’s Swan Lake, which, like his Nutcracker, takes the classic work as a disembarkation point for a more psychological interpretation. Murphy’s Odette is a fragile girl who marries a prince, only to discover he has no intention of giving up his mistress. Simone Goldsmith, the first Odette, is promoted to principal artist at the opening night party. Lynette Wills, the first Baroness von Rothbart, is promoted to principal artist after the production opens in Sydney in November that year. The ballet becomes a signature piece for the company: it’s staged every year between 2002 and 2010.
Also in 2002
The Australian Ballet collaborates with Australia’s oldest dance company, the West Australian Ballet.
August 2002
The Telstra Ballet Dancer Award is established, on the eve of the company’s 40th birthday, with the aim of nurturing young talent.
1 November 2002
The Australian Ballet turns 40, and celebrates with a series of gala events titled Beyond 40.
