Australian Ballet Company
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The Australian Ballet was founded in 1962.
The ballet's first performance was at Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney.
Today the company, based in Melbourne, regularly tours to all the major cities within Australia, with lengthy seasons in Melbourne at the Victorian Arts Centre. Lengthy seasons are also spent in Sydney at the famous Sydney Opera House. When in Brisbane, The Australian Ballet performs at the Lyric Theatre at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre.
The Australian Ballet works in close cooperation with The Australian Ballet School, of which many of the company’s dancers are graduates. Giving approximately 185 performances a year, The Australian Ballet is one of the busiest ballet companies in the world. With a vast repertoire which includes the major classical and heritage works as well contemporary productions, it follows its artistic vision of ‘Caring for Tradition, Daring to be Different’. Each year, the company also presents an extensive national education programme to further inspire and educate its audiences.
Box office sales, derived from its strong and loyal audience base, are the foundation of the company’s income stream. The Australian Ballet Company also receives funding from the Australian Federal Government, the Victorian and New South Wales state government bodies, corporate sponsors, private donors and bequestors.
The company's current Artistic Director is David McAllister, who was a Principal Dancer until being appointed artistic head of the organisation in 2001. The company’s previous Artistic Directors were: Ross Stretton (1996-2001); Maina Gielgud (1983 – 1996); Marilyn Jones (1979 – 1982); Anne Wooliams (1976 – 1977); Robert Helpmann (1965 – 1976) and the founding Artistic Director, Dame Peggy van Praagh (1962 – 1974; 1978).
The company's Music Director and chief conductor is Nicolette Fraillon.
[edit] The Merry Widow ballet
The Franz Lehár ballet "The Merry Widow" was created by Sir Robert Helpmann and choreographed by Ronald Hynd especially for the Australian Ballet Company. The designer was Desmond Healey. The orchestrations, from operetta score to ballet score, were done by John Lanchbery (then musical director of The Australian Ballet Company) and his colleague Alan Abbot. The ballet premiered on 13 November 1975 at the Palais Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Dame Margot Fonteyn, who was guesting with the Australian Ballet Company, danced the leading role of Hanna Glawari in 1976.
