Stories from the heart

A lifetime of love shared by members of our community

In this landmark year, we wanted to give a voice to the community who have wrapped their arms around The Australian Ballet and made incredible things happen throughout the company’s history.

Natasha Bowness, President of Annual Giving and herself a lifelong supporter of the company, had the pleasure of speaking with some of the generous individuals in our giving community. Here they discuss their relationship with The Australian Ballet and what has inspired them to support us as they do.

“Through this process, I’ve had the honour of connecting with people of all ages and what has struck me the most is the commonality of themes and stories that transcend generations. It’s been deeply touching to hear the stories of discovery, the long-held memories, and the joy ballet has brought to so many lives. Transformational experiences, family traditions, a deep admiration for the talent and dedication of the dancers, and a sense of childlike wonder consistently came up.

“I will treasure these conversations. They reinforced the power of the art form and the strength of the relationship between community and company. The importance of philanthropy in terms of enabling the company to flourish and for realising David Hallberg’s vision cannot be overstated and, for that, I thank everyone who has played a part in The Australian Ballet’s story so far.”

Geraldine Fox-Penglis, SA

From the moment Geraldine Fox-Penglis’ grandmother took her to see the ballet in Adelaide in 1946, she adored it. “It just transported me into another world and if anybody tried to talk to me after a performance, they would get absolutely nothing out of me because I was still off in my own little world thinking about what I had just seen,” she explains. Ballet is a passion that has continued to be a part of her life, and Geraldine has been going to The Australian Ballet ever since its inception. She cites a performance of Nijinsky as one of the most moving productions she has seen. “I can remember sitting there as the curtain came down, the audience applauding, feeling absolutely drained. Emotionally exhausted. What a testament to the art form that is, that it can have that effect on you.” Geraldine used to share her passion with her late husband, George, and now enjoys taking her cousin to select events and performances. Unfortunately, as life has moved on, she hasn’t been able travel to see The Australian Ballet perform as much as she would like, but Geraldine’s love of ballet has inspired her to support the company in other ways. “I love the idea of being able to give the Ballet some money now while I’m still around and able to see the impact my commitment is having and the joy the company is bringing others.”

Veronica Corrigan, VIC

Veronica Corrigan, the youngest of three siblings, was introduced to ballet by her mum, who regularly attended performances with her sister-in-law and wanted to pass the joy of ballet on to her daughter. “Growing up, ballet was an intergenerational passion in my family and there was such a sense of majesty associated with the occasion,” recalls Veronica. “It was like entering a fairytale world, where Cinderella was a real person. To this day, I love the two hours I get to spend completely removed from my world and immersed in the one the dancers are creating on stage.” A subscriber since her university days and, more recently, a philanthropic supporter, Veronica has found a sense of community through her involvement with the company. “Being engaged with The Australian Ballet isn’t just about the performances, it’s about the access you get to life behind the scenes and the friends you make along the way,” she explains. “I was raised to be community-minded and now I like to contribute to this area of life that I’m passionate about. I’m very impassioned by people who are dedicated to achieving excellence over a long time, and that’s what The Australian Ballet dancers do. They deserve to be celebrated and I feel privileged to be able to do that.” Today, Veronica attends the ballet with her husband or girlfriends she’s known since school, but she looks forward to continuing the family tradition by one day sharing the art form with her baby son, Ned.

Gena Culley, WA

“I just love movement to music,” says Gena Culley, who has always loved ballet and enjoyed both dancing and going to the theatre to see performances with her mother when she was a child. She fondly recalls waiting at the stage door to collect autographs from members of West Australian Ballet and other visiting companies, noting Garth Welch and Marilyn Jones’ signatures as two of the most prized in her collection. Gena’s affection for ballet has taken her far and wide – travelling within Australia, as well as internationally with her sister, to see the artists and art form she holds in such high regard. “I am in absolute awe of the dancers. Their commitment to the craft and their devotion to the art is incredible,” she says, “and to see the different dancers progress through the company brings me great joy.” This enduring admiration has inspired Gena to support a number of The Australian Ballet’s productions, most recently David Hallberg’s 60th anniversary reimagining of Swan Lake. Gena looks forward to visiting Melbourne in September for the first season of Swan Lake and hopes to continue the family tradition by sharing the experience with her granddaughter.

Ken Mitchell, QLD

Ken Mitchell has a long-standing interest in the theatre. His relationship with ballet began a little later in life, when he was invited to attend a performance of Giselle by a friend he shared the stage with at the Queensland Light Opera Company. He was initially unconvinced, but his interest was piqued when another member of the Queensland Light Opera encouraged him to see The Australian Ballet perform Don Quixote. From that point on, Ken was a regular attendee – first bringing his sister to Brisbane performances and, in time, travelling further afield to Sydney to see his favourite repertoire. Speaking about what drew him to ballet, Ken recollects, “I think it was the joie de vivre of the people on stage. They were so committed and dedicated, and clearly enjoying themselves. As a result, so did I. You have to support the things that bring you joy.”

Ruth Zionzee, NSW

A lifelong ballet lover, Ruth Zionzee vividly remembers the “electrifying experience” of going to see the Borovansky Ballet perform Terra Australis with her mother in 1946. “I followed it from that point on,” Ruth recalls. “Their bodies conveyed their inner hearts and souls. I was hooked.” From that moment Ruth has consistently attended the ballet at every opportunity – subscribing in her favourite seats, supporting the company philanthropically and immersing herself within the community. “I’m part of a family within The Australian Ballet. I’ve made many friends coming to the ballet, and I always look forward to sharing in the brilliance of the dancers’ skills with those like-minded people.” Interestingly, Ruth didn’t dance as an adolescent – although she did dabble in Giselle when she took a couple of seniors classes at the Sydney Opera House before the pandemic – but her career as a nurse has helped to inform her specific area of interest: the dancers’ feet. “I watch their beautiful feet and, thanks to my time in nursing, I understand that without the shoes they wouldn’t be able to accomplish what they do, so I request that my commitment to the company goes towards their pointe shoes. Feet are important and never more so than when you’re dancing with such athleticism.”

Lyne Sedgman OAM, VIC

Lyne Sedgman has been a dedicated supporter of The Australian Ballet for more than 40 years. After being drawn to the company by her interest in the arts, Lyne has fond memories of attending the ballet at the Palais Theatre and, later, Arts Centre Melbourne - going up to three times a season to enjoy the productions and show her support for different dancers in the rotating casts. Lyne credits her late mother as one of her favourite guests and a motivation to support the company. “I introduced my mother to the world of ballet when she fell out of love with football,” Lyne recounts. “She became entranced and loved attending with me. So much so that, after she passed away, I kept her seat for a couple of years and, for a while, I brought her pearls along in my evening bag so that she could still share the experience with me. In time, I made a donation in her memory, and I often think how much she would have enjoyed that – she always liked looking at the back of the program to see who was supporting the company.” Over time, Lyne has developed a passion for supporting the future stars of the company through their training at The Australian Ballet School. One of those dancers was Callum Linnane, and she credits his promotion to Principal Artist as one of the highlights of recent years. “It’s such a joy to see these talented young dancers develop over the years and to be able to play a part in helping them to thrive and flourish, and ultimately realise their dreams.”

Stephanie Shwabsky, NSW

It was Stephanie Shwabsky’s mother who first introduced her to ballet as a little girl. Their trips to the theatre to see visiting companies perform became a tradition so special that Stephanie has paid tribute to her mother in The Australian Ballet’s souvenir programs in recognition of her love of the arts. One of Stephanie’s core memories of going to the ballet is seeing Sir Robert Helpmann’s The Display. “One of many excellent performances I’ve seen by The Australian Ballet”, she recalls. She also vividly remembers Kelvin Coe, “a truly elegant principal dancer” and counts Steven Heathcote’s performance as the Beloved Officer in Nutcracker – The Story of Clara as one of her favourites. Ballet has continued to play a starring role throughout Stephanie’s life. She has travelled extensively to see her favourite artists dance: watching Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn perform in London was, she says, “one of the most rewarding nights of my life.” Stephanie’s adoration for the art form and its artists has compelled her to support the company philanthropically, too, “because I so admire the dancers for their devotion to their extraordinarily demanding career, and because I continue to get so much out of the wonderful, transporting art.”

On Saturday 25 February, thousands of ballet lovers braved the elements and flocked to the Sidney Myer Music Bowl as The Australian Ballet and Orchestra Victoria returned to Melbourne’s iconic outdoor venue for the first time in nine years with a family-friendly gala.

Ballet Under the Stars thrilled ballet-goers of all ages with an exciting program that paid tribute to both the remarkable scope of the art form and the history of the company, set against the striking backdrop of Melbourne’s city skyline.

The evening of entertainment was proudly presented by The Australian Ballet’s Principal Partner of 39 years, Telstra. Speaking of their involvement with the event, Telstra’s Head of Sponsorship, Genelle Sharples, says, “It’s always been important to Telstra that we give as

A celestial celebration for our community

many Australians as possible the chance to experience extraordinary ballet. Ballet Under the Stars was a wonderful way for families to see the extraordinary dance and choreographic talent that we have in this country – for free. We were delighted to see so many avid ballet fans alongside us at the Bowl to help celebrate 60 years of The Australian Ballet.”

We’d also like to thank our supporting partners, the DECJUBA Foundation and Arts Centre Melbourne, for their support in bringing Ballet Under the Stars back to the Melbourne community.