The Australian Ballet

The Australian Ballet
General information
Name The Australian Ballet
Predecessor Borovansky Ballet
Year founded 1962
Founding Artistic Director Dame Peggy van Praagh
Principal venue Level 5
2 Kavanagh Street
South Bank
Victoria, Australia
Website australianballet.com.au
Artistic staff
Artistic Director
Resident Choreographers
Other
Associated schools Australian Ballet School
Formation
  • Principal Artist
  • Senior Artist
  • Soloist
  • Coryphée
  • Corps de Ballet

The Australian Ballet is the largest classical ballet company in Australia. It was founded by J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd. and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust in 1962, with the English-born dancer, teacher, repetiteur and director Dame Peggy van Praagh as founding artistic director. Today, it is recognised as one of the world's major international ballet companies.

History

The roots of the Australian Ballet can be found in the Borovansky Ballet, a company founded in 1940 by the Czech dancer Edouard Borovansky. Borovansky had been a dancer in the touring ballet company of the famous Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova and, after visiting Australia on tour with the Covent Garden Russian Ballet, he decided to remain in Australia, establishing a ballet school in Melbourne in 1939, out of which he developed a performance group which became the Borovansky Ballet. The company was supported and funded by J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd from 1944. Following Borovansky's death in 1959, the English dancer and administrator Dame Peggy van Praagh was invited to become artistic director of the company. J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd decided to disband the Borovansky Ballet in 1961.

In 1961, J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust received federal subsidies towards the establishment of a national ballet company. These organisations established the Australian Ballet Foundation to assist with the establishment of a new company, which in 1962 became the Australian Ballet. Peggy van Praagh, who had been kept on a retainer by J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd through the intervening year between the disbanding of the Borovansky Ballet and the establishment of the Australian Ballet, was invited to become the founding artistic director of the company. The majority of the dancers employed by the fledgling company were drawn from former members of the Borovansky Ballet.

The first performance by the Australian Ballet was Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, staged at Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney on 2 November 1962. The principal dancers in the first season were Kathleen Gorham, Marilyn Jones and Garth Welch. Van Praagh also invited the Royal Ballet's Ray Powell to temporarily became the company's first ballet master, with Leon Kellaway (brother of Cecil Kellaway), a former dancer with the Covent Garden Russian Ballet, as the company's first ballet teacher. In later years Sir Robert Helpmann, Marilyn Jones and Maina Gielgud made major contributions as Artistic Directors of the Australian Ballet.

In 1964 van Praagh established the Australian Ballet School, which was formed specially to train dancers for the company and remains the company's associate school to this day. Dame Margaret Scott was the founding director of the school, followed by Gailene Stock CBE AM, Marilyn Rowe OBE, and now Lisa Pavane, all three former company principal artists.

Present

Today the company is based in Melbourne; its Southbank headquarters is the Primrose Potter Australian Ballet Centre, named after its long term supporter Lady (Primrose) Potter.[1][2] The company regularly tours to mainland state capital cities within Australia, with lengthy seasons in Melbourne at the State Theatre (accompanied by Orchestra Victoria) and in Sydney at the Sydney Opera House. Other regular venues are the Lyric Theatre at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre in Brisbane, and the Adelaide Festival Centre in Adelaide. The company also tours internationally, and performs annually in an intimate outdoor setting on Hamilton Island.[3]

The Australian Ballet works in close cooperation with the Australian Ballet School, of which many of the company's dancers are graduates. Giving approximately 200 performances a year, the Australian Ballet claims to be the busiest ballet company in the world. With a vast repertoire which includes the major classical and heritage works as well as 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, run by Colin Peasley a former Principal Dancer with the company, to further inspire and educate its audiences. Its Dance Education Ensemble visits more than eighty primary schools per year to introduce young pupils to classical ballet and other types of dance.[4]

Box office sales, derived from its strong and loyal audience base, are the foundation of the company's income stream. The Australian Ballet also receives funding from the Australian, Victorian and New South Wales governments, corporate sponsors, private donors and bequests.

The company's current artistic director is David McAllister, who was a principal dancer until 2001. The company's previous artistic directors were: Ross Stretton (1996–2001); Maina Gielgud (1983–96); Marilyn Jones (1979–82); Anne Woolliams (1976–77); Sir Robert Helpmann (1965–76) and the founding artistic director, Dame Peggy van Praagh (1962–74; 1978).

The most recent appointment to the position of executive director (July 2013) is Libby Christie, former Managing Director of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Her predecessor was Valerie Wilder, who succeeded Richard Evans.

Repertoire

Don Quixote

In 1973 the Australian Ballet released a film version of the ballet Don Quixote with music by Ludwig Minkus, starring Rudolf Nureyev as Basilio, Lucette Aldous as Kitri and Sir Robert Helpmann in the title role, along with artists of the Australian Ballet. Set and costumes were designed by Barry Kay. Future artistic director Ross Stretton staged the stage production during his artistic directorship of The Royal Ballet.

The Merry Widow

The ballet The Merry Widow, with music from Franz Lehár's operetta of the same name, was created by Sir Robert Helpmann and choreographed by Ronald Hynd especially for the Australian Ballet. The designer was Desmond Healey. The adaptation from operetta score to ballet score was done by John Lanchbery (then musical director of the Australian Ballet) and his colleague Alan Abbot. The ballet premiered on 13 November 1975 at the Palais Theatre, Melbourne.

In 1976, Dame Margot Fonteyn, who was guesting with the Australian Ballet, danced the leading role of Hanna Glawari.

The ballet was revived by the company in 2011, in Melbourne from 23 June to 4 July, the final performance being principal artist Kirsty Martin's farewell performance, and in Sydney from 10 to 28 November, the 26 November evening performance farewelling principal artist Robert Curran.

Company

Dancers with The Australian Ballet are: [5]

Principal artists

  • Leanne Stojmenov[17]

Senior artists

Soloists
  • Robyn Hendricks[27]

Coryphées

  • Benedicte Bemet [35]

  • Amanda McGuigan[47]
  • Christopher Rodgers-Wilson [49]

Corps de ballet

  • Shaun Andrews
  • Joseph Chapman
  • Imogen Chapman
  • Lisa Craig
  • Jasmin Durham
  • Eloise Fryer
  • Rohan Furnell
  • Ella Havelka
  • Drew Hedditch
  • Corey Herbert
  • Richard House
  • Brodie James
  • François-Eloi Lavignac
  • Callum Linnane
  • Luke Marchant
  • Marcus Morelli
  • Emma McFarlane
  • Sophie Morgan
  • Rina Nemoto
  • Jill Ogai
  • Simon Plant
  • Mitchell Rayner
  • Kelsey Stokes
  • Valerie Tereshchenko
  • Charles Thompson
  • Sarah Thompson
  • Alice Topp
  • Jade Wood

Telstra Ballet Dancer Award

The Telstra Ballet Dancer Awards have been made annually since 2003, in support of the aspirations of The Australian Ballet's elite young dancers. It is the biggest prize available specifically to a dancer in Australia, with a cash prize of $20,000 to the winner. The Telstra People's Choice Award is made to the most popular of the nominees in that year, using internet and SMS voting. The winner of the People's Choice receives a cash prize of $5,000.[52]

For the first time since the inauguration of the awards, the judging panel was unable to separate two dancers for the main award in 2010 and each received $20,000. The winners were Ty King-Wall and Dana Stephensen. Amy Harris won the People's Choice Award for the second time (she also won it in 2008).[53]

In 2011, Chengwu Guo became the first male dancer to take out both the main award and the People's Choice.

In 2012, Amy Harris, nominated for a third time, won the main award. Christopher Rodgers-Wilson won it in 2013 and Dimity Azuory in 2014.

Behind Ballet

Behind Ballet is the blog of the Australian Ballet.[54]

References

  1. ↑ Australian Ballet
  2. ↑ Australian Ballet
  3. ↑ "qualia on Hamilton Island’s Great Barrier Reef". qualia. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  4. ↑ Mulready, Rose (2012). "Talking Doing Dancers". Behind Ballet. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Dancers". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  6. ↑ "Dancers: Adam Bull". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 8 February 2012. joined The Australian Ballet in 2002, was promoted to principal in June 2008
  7. ↑ "Dancers: Daniel Gaudiello". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 8 February 2012. joined The Australian Ballet in 2004, was promoted to principal artist in 2010
  8. ↑ "Chengwu Guo promoted". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  9. ↑ "Dancers: Chengwu Guo". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 30 November 2013. Growing up in China, Chengwu Guo began dance classes at the age of eleven.
  10. ↑ "Dancers: Kevin Jackson". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 8 February 2012. joined The Australian Ballet in 2003, was promoted to principal artist in 2010
  11. ↑ "Cupcakes & Conversation with Kevin Jackson, principal artist". Ballet News. 6 December 2010.
  12. ↑ "Dancers: Lana Jones". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 8 February 2012. joined The Australian Ballet in 2002, was promoted to coryphée in 2005, was promoted to principal artist in 2010
  13. ↑ "Dancers: Andrew Killian". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 8 February 2012. joined The Australian Ballet in 2000, was promoted to principal artist in 2011
  14. ↑ "Dancers: Ty King-Wall". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved April 2013. joined The Australian Ballet in 2006, was promoted to soloist in 2010, to senior artist in 2011, and to principal artist on 6 April 2013
  15. ↑ "Dancers: Ako Kondo". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 18 April 2015. She was promoted to senior artist in 2014, and principal artist in April 2015 following her debut as Giselle.
  16. ↑ "Dancers: Amber Scott". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 8 February 2012. joined The Australian Ballet in 2001, was promoted to principal artist in 2011
  17. ↑ "Dancers: Leanne Stojmenov". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 8 February 2012. joined The Australian Ballet in 2001, was promoted to principal artist in 2011
  18. ↑ "Dancers: Amy Harris". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 8 February 2012. joined The Australian Ballet in 2002, was promoted to coryphée in 2007, and soloist in 2011
  19. ↑ "Dancers: Rudy Hawkes". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 8 February 2012. joined The Australian Ballet in 2005, was promoted to soloist for the 2011 season
  20. ↑ "Dancers: Miwako Kubota". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 8 February 2012. joined The Australian Ballet in 1998, was promoted to senior artist in 2010
  21. ↑ "Dancers: Natasha Kusch". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 10 March 2015. Natasha Kusch was born in Nikopol, Ukraine.
  22. ↑ "Dancers: Dimity Azoury". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 13 March 2013. has a Scottish Deerhound called Gunther Edwin who tours everywhere with her
  23. ↑ "2014 TBDA winners announced". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  24. ↑ "The Australian Ballet back on board in 2013" (PDF). Retrieved 13 March 2013.
  25. ↑ "Dancers: Brett Chynoweth". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 13 March 2013. joined The Australian Ballet at the beginning of 2009
  26. ↑ "Dancers: Ben Davis". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 8 February 2012. joined The Australian Ballet in 2005, was promoted to coryphée in 2009, and soloist for the 2011 season
  27. ↑ "Dancers: Robyn Hendricks". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 8 February 2012. joined The Australian Ballet in 2005, was promoted to soloist in 2011
  28. ↑ "Dancers: Natasha Kusen". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 21 June 2013. was promoted to soloist in June 2013
  29. ↑ "Dancers: Brett Simon". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 8 February 2012. joined The Australian Ballet as a coryphée in July 2009, was promoted to soloist in 2011
  30. ↑ "Dancers: Jacob Sofer". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 8 February 2012. joined The Australian Ballet at the beginning of 2005, was promoted to soloist in 2011
  31. ↑ "Dancers: Dana Stephensen". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 8 February 2012. joined The Australian Ballet in 2005, was promoted to Coryphée in 2010
  32. ↑ "Dancers: Laura Tong". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 8 February 2012. joined The Australian Ballet in 2004, was promoted to soloist in 2009
  33. ↑ "Dancers: Vivienne Wong". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 8 February 2012. joined The Australian Ballet in 2003, was promoted to coryphée for the 2008 season
  34. ↑ "Dancers: Andrew Wright". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 8 February 2012. joined The Australian Ballet in 2002, was promoted to coryphée in 2008, and to soloist for the 2011 season
  35. ↑ "Dancers: Benedicte Bemet". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  36. ↑ "About Us: Dancers". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  37. ↑ "Dancers: Jessica Fyfe". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 29 January 2014. takes her guitar everywhere she goes
  38. ↑ "Dancers: Ingrid Gow". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  39. ↑ "Dancers: Calvin Hannaford". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 13 March 2013. Calvin has a fear of spiders
  40. ↑ "Dancers: Cameron Hunter". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 30 November 2013. joined the Australian Ballet in 2011
  41. 1 2 3 "Eight dancers elevated at The Australian Ballet" (PDF). Press Release. The Australian Ballet. 29 September 2011. Reiko Hombo will become a senior artist, Chengwu Guo will be made a soloist and Brett Chynoweth, John-Paul Idaszak, Ako Kondo, Brooke Lockett, Karen Nanasca and Sharni Spencer are moving up to the rank of coryphée. These promotions are effective in the new year.
  42. ↑ "Dancers: Brooke Lockett". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 8 February 2012. joined The Australian Ballet in 2006
  43. ↑ "Dancers: Jarryd Madden". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 8 February 2012. joined The Australian Ballet at the beginning of 2008, was promoted to coryphée in 2011
  44. ↑ "Dancers: Heidi Martin". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 8 February 2012. joined The Australian Ballet's corps de ballet in 2009
  45. ↑ "Dancers: Cristiano Martino". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 10 July 2015. He joined The Australian Ballet in 2013
  46. ↑ Deborah Jones. "A new generation rises to the challenge". Deborah Jones. Retrieved 10 July 2015. Martino has stage presence, alert dramatic instincts, a powerful leap
  47. ↑ "Dancers: Amanda McGuigan". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 10 July 2015. American Ballet Theatre (2007-2010) and then the Dutch National Ballet (2010-2013)
  48. ↑ "Dancers: Karen Nanasca". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 8 February 2012. joined The Australian Ballet's corps de ballet in 2009
  49. ↑ "Dancers: Christopher Rodgers-Wilson". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 30 November 2013. Chris joined the Birmingham Royal Ballet in 2007
  50. ↑ "Dancers: Sharni Spencer". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 8 February 2012. joined The Australian Ballet at the beginning of 2008
  51. ↑ "Dancers: Jared Wright". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  52. ↑ "Telstra People's Choice Award". Telstra. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  53. ↑ Hook, Chris (6 December 2010). "Telstra Ballet Dancer Award". Sydney: Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  54. ↑ Behind Ballet, the Australian Ballet's blog

External links

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