SPIRIT ISSUE #2
APRIL 2020
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#2
WELCOME
Contributors Editor Cassandra Houghton Words Cassandra Houghton, Jean Attwater, Ellen Gilroy, Chelsea Clark Photography David Kelly, Ali Cameron, Edward Pope, Jez Smith Art Direction & Design Dave Byrne / Bigfish
Welcome to the second edition of Pas. magazine.
Contact Queensland Ballet (07) 3013 6666 mail@queenslandballet.com.au Beesley St Studios 34 Beesley St, West End, QLD 4101
— Due to current COVID-19 restrictions, we’ve decided to publish Pas this quarter as a digital edition only so you can enjoy it from the comfort of your own couch. If you follow us on social media you will have read that
/pa/
many of our upcoming seasons have been postponed, including our 60th Anniversary Gala, Swan Lake in Melbourne, and Tutus on Tour. This is also the case with
A step or series of
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QUEENSLAND BALLET
For a fortnightly glimpse into the world of Queensland Ballet, including what’s on, behind-the-scenes photos, news and videos, subscribe to At The Barre: queenslandballet.com.au/subscribe
our community engagements and dance classes.
steps in ballet.
Event cancellations and postponements across Australia are having an unprecedented impact on the live performance industry, with thousands of permanent and
IN THIS ISSUE
casual staff losing their jobs and income, companies at risk of closing, and widespread uncertainty in the industry. Here at Queensland Ballet, we are not immune. We are happy, however, that we have this platform to share our stories with you. 2020 is our 60th birthday year, and we still have so much to engage you with.
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INTERVIEW
BACKSTAGE
Class Act Liam Geck —
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Queensland Ballet celebrates 60 years: 1953–1965 —
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COLLABORATE
Shooting Star Paul Boyd —
11 OFFSTAGE
OFFSTAGE
The sky’s the limit for QB Academy —
Edward Pope & Sophie Zoricic —
14 BALLET FACTS
The origins of Dracula —
17 COMMUNITY Cover Principal Artist Yanela Piñera By Ali Cameron
For the Love —
Within this edition you’ll find interviews with our dancers and offstage talent, and news about our community programs and our brand-new Academy facility at Kelvin Grove State College. We’ve also done a deep dive into our fascinating history, beginning way back in the 1950s when the young, Paris-born Charles Lisner had a dream to begin a professional Queensland-based ballet company (spoiler: he succeeded). As we work to reschedule our productions, tours and community engagements this year, we will find new platforms and ways to engage with you with a focus on story-telling, podcasts and livestreams. Thank you for your support of Queensland Ballet through this tumultuous period – we will continue to grow stronger and dream big. I hope this edition of Pas gives you a glimpse into life at Queensland Ballet – both on and offstage. Enjoy!
12 SPOTLIGHT
The island of Cuba —
16 COMMUNITY
Taking Flight Dance for Parkinsons —
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Li Cunxin AO Artistic Director
Photo Company Artist Mali Comlekci By David Kelly
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ISSUE #2 APRIL 2020
ISSUE #2
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INTERVIEW Class Act Passion and drive propel dancer Liam Geck from strength to strength
Liam Geck First Company Artist
— Fiery, outstanding, and captivating were just a few
the outside and then all the principals and soloists on the
of the words that popped up in reviews whilst I was
inside doing lifts and tricks and holding about 50 candles
researching Liam Geck for our chat.
onstage,” he recalls.
QUEENSLAND BALLET
The 24-year-old First Company Artist has lived a
“There was a moment when all the students had to
life devoted to dance – and to Queensland Ballet in
rush backstage to get their candles and switch them on
particular, so it’s little wonder his talents onstage have
at a certain count – that was a big stressful moment for
sparked such acclaim from audiences. Between his
me, and now it seems so trivial. At 13 years old it was a
upcoming performance at the 60th Anniversary Gala,
lot of pressure, but you get used to the pressure and it
and his first-ever QB performance at the 50th Gala in
builds you into the artist you become today.”
2010 under Artistic Director François Klaus, he has
He still gets nervous, though.
experienced the Company’s extensive growth in the last
“Yes, I do,” he laughs.
decade first-hand. Which, he says, has been fascinating.
“But I think the more you perform, the more
“To see a small idea grow into this incredible Company we see today has just been amazing,” Liam says.
confidence you build and it becomes easier to manage those nerves. “Everyone has those quotes and little bits of gold
“Back when I started at QB, all the Company
from other dancers. And if you’ve been rehearsing, you
Dancers knew all the students – and that was nice, to be
know what you’re doing, and the Artistic staff have given
effortlessly assimilated into the Company rehearsals,
you everything you can to go and do your best. You just
and I remember meeting people like Lina (Kim), and
have to trust and believe in yourself.”
Rian (Thompson) and Tamara (Hanton) who are all still
That belief has been nurtured since the age of three
a part of the Company now. But to go from 50 people –
when Liam began dancing at his local Hawthorne dance
including all of the students, to today where there are 60
school, Kick Dance Studio, right through his career
dancers alone is exciting.”
dancing in productions such as Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s
We meet outside Studio 1 at QB’s temporary home
Romeo & Juliet, Ben Stevenson’s The Nutcracker, and
on Beesley St, West End, post warm-up and prior to
Greg Horsman’s La Bayadère (where he danced his
Company class. From 10am to 6pm Monday to Friday,
favourite role, Golden Idol).
Liam’s full-time schedule includes daily classes and
And what does he love so much about dancing?
multiple rehearsal blocks for upcoming productions.
“I think it’s very special to be able to tell a story
“Today I’ve got rehearsals for Dracula all afternoon, where I’m learning quite a lot,” he says. “I’ve got phantoms, Jonathan, Renfield, and a vampire as well.
without using words,” he says thoughtfully. “The audience can get so much just from the tonality of the music and then a facial expression onstage – I think that’s talking through feeling rather than, not even
“And this morning I have two hours of Jacqui Carroll’s Carmina Burana for the Gala where I’m lucky
just movement. Everything stems from that emotion. “I think it's such a special thing that, as humans, we
enough to learn Solo Number 2. It’s quite difficult
can understand that most basic level of communication
actually because half the solo is dancing up on sticks,
and it’s so nice to layer everything on top of that –
which is an interesting, different way to move my body.
production and lighting and everything to create a really
But it’s fun.”
special experience. It’s a really rewarding job.”
It’s a world away from the repertoire he began with at the 50th Gala. Liam was 13 years old and in Queensland Words by Cassandra Houghton Photo First Company Artist Liam Geck
Ballet’s Junior Extension Program at the time. “I distinctly remember holding a candle and laying it down on the stage and being in a group creating the birthday cake – so there was a ring of all the students on
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— Liam will perform in the 60th Anniversary Gala, rescheduled for October 8-11 at the QPAC Lyric Theatre queenslandballet.com.au/2020/60th-anniversary-gala
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I THINK IT’S VERY SPECIAL
WITHOUT USING WORDS 5
ISSUE #1 DECEMBER 2019
TO BE ABLE TO TELL A STORY
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BACKSTAGE 1953—1965
Photos Left to Right: Charles Lisner OBE; Charles Lisner and dance students; Lynette Sorrensen (top) and Harold Collins (bottom); The Seasons; Mary Heath; Harold Collins, Lynette Sorrensen, Mary Heath in Charles Lisner’s Masquerade, Photo by Geoff Dauth. Bottom: Harold Collins, Joseph Savoie, Michelle McCormack, Mary Heath, Charles Lisner and Lynette Sorrenson
1960
QUEENSLAND BALLET
1953
The formative years
— Lisner moves his Academy to the Caledonian Building in Elizabeth Street, Brisbane. Funding the enterprise himself, he converts the space into a 220-seat theatre. Two months after the Academy theatre’s official opening, Lisner announces the establishment of The Lisner Ballet. — Having identified Queensland as a place where he could pioneer professional ballet performances, Lisner opens the Lisner Ballet Academy in December 1953, teaching ballet at a
VIDEO
studio in Fortitude Valley.
One of Queensland Ballet’s foundational dancers, Lynette
about the romantic Chopin Pas de deux - a piece Charles Lisner choreographed for Lynette and Harold Collins in the 1950s.
Play video
1959
Sorrensen, popped into QB Studios recently to reminisce
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— The Lisner Ballet gives its inaugural performance on 29 April, 1960. The program included Lisner’s work, The Gift, for which he also composed the music.
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Queensland Ballet celebrates 60 years in 2020
1964
1961
Is there one moment in anyone’s life which can be described as absolutely pivotal? For Queensland Ballet’s founder, Charles Lisner, it must have been during his first attendance at a performance of the Borovansky Ballet Academy, in Melbourne in 1942. Although he had been reluctant to go at first, an astonished Lisner sat enthralled. A lifelong passion was born and a spark was lit which, many years later, would burn brightly and result in the formation of Queensland Ballet. As the Company celebrates its 60th anniversary, we reflect on the first 12 years of key events which have led us to where we are today.
ISSUE #2 APRIL 2020
— The Lisner Ballet becomes a company limited by guarantee and is re-named The Queensland Ballet Company. Queensland now had a professional ballet company, which performed for the first time on 29 September, 1962. The company’s early years were exciting and exhausting. Still principally funded by the Lisner Ballet Academy, the Company didn’t
— The Academy Theatre is destroyed by
have enough money to cover full-time wages.
fire. Unable to fund having it rebuilt as a
— With funding from the NSW Arts
However, such was the dancers’ commitment
theatre, Lisner turned the space into a
Council, Lisner and five of his dancers,
to the success of the company, many took
large studio for classes and rehearsals.
accompanied by five ex-Borovansky
day-jobs in order to keep performing. The
The Company began performing at
dancers, begin a gruelling 18-week tour
Queensland Ballet appeared in a number of
Festival Hall.
of New South Wales and Queensland,
hugely popular televised ballets on the ABC
performing in 84 towns. This tour
and on Channel 9 during the 1960s.
marked the beginning of the Company’s steadfast commitment to regional
1962
touring.
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Follow along with the timeline from 1966 – 1979 in the next edition of Pas Magazine, out in August.
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COLLABORATE
Shooting Star From royals to German theatres and Italian arenas – Paul Boyd’s career is one shining highlight
Paul Boyd Head of Senior Program & Resident Choreographer, QB Academy
— When Paul Boyd choreographed the Grande Defile
family said ‘come home’, so we basically just left. I came
Queensland Ballet’s 60th Anniversary Gala, he drew on
back and joined Queensland Ballet.”
five decades of worldly experience most dancers only dream of.
choreographer in Germany contacted him and asked him
famous Summer Arts festival in Arena di Verona, Italy,
to come back. “My wife said to me ‘we have to do this, you only get
Program and Resident Choreographer at Queensland
one career’, so we moved back and stayed in Germany
Ballet Academy) spent his youth onstage with some of
and Switzerland another eight years, and I toured the
the best companies across Europe. But it’s Queensland
world. I was about 27 at the time,” he says.
Ballet he has always returned to.
“And it was an incredible life. We had the opportunity
“My wife recently reminded me this is my fifth decade
QUEENSLAND BALLET
in Brisbane and settled happily for nine months before a
in Monte Carlo to performing the role of Spartacus at the the former Principal Dancer (now Head of the Senior
to see so many different countries – America, South
of being involved with Queensland Ballet, on and off.
Africa, Europe…my children had a great upbringing too.
This Company has been a huge part of my life,” he says.
It was amazing.”
“I was looking at a photo from my first weeks at
Prior to our interview, I had seen a sepia-toned
QB taken at the Margaret Street studios in 1987, and I
photo of Paul as Spartacus dancing against the striking
remember it being like that and now I look where the
backdrop of the Arena di Verona in Italy. His expression
Company is and where it’s going…it’s incredible.
alights when I ask about it.
Li (Cunxin) is just phenomenal – I’ve never met anyone like him.”
“The Arena di Verona is about 2,000 years old – it’s like a mini Colosseum. I was dancing the role of
As we pull up chairs one late afternoon in the lead up
Spartacus there, in that environment, with a 135-piece
to the Gala, I’m struck by his inherent enthusiasm. Dance
orchestra and an audience of 20,000 people, and the
is Paul’s life, and his passion for the artform is vividly
stage was 50 metres wide by 30 metres deep so I felt like
apparent simply by the way he speaks of it. His actions
I was dancing on a football field…
too, show the depth of his commitment from a young age.
“I remember knowing this experience was just going
Born in Wagga Wagga, NSW, he began dancing at four
to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And I took my
years of age at the local dance school, then from 12 to 15,
children backstage and as they stood on the stage I made
after his local teacher moved away, he journeyed 250km
them really take in the moment, because this was not a
every weekend to attend ballet training in Canberra.
moment that every child gets to experience.”
“It was quite clear to my mum and dad that I was very adamant with what I wanted to do,” he laughs. “People often say to me I missed out on my childhood
Paul returned to QB in 1996, again under Harold Collins and then François Klaus, building the choreography skills he had begun cultivating in
– no. I was in heaven. I never really had a Plan B; from a
Germany. He had the knack. An early pas de deux,
little boy I only wanted to be a dancer.”
translated from German as ‘Chopin for two’, ended up
Afterwards, Paul trained at The Australian Ballet School, before working overseas.
in The Royal Ballet School’s repertoire in London, and was later performed by QB. His most recent piece, the
“I toured America, then I went to Europe where I
children’s ballet The Little Green Road to Fairyland,
studied in Monte Carlo. I danced for Prince Rainier and
premiered last year, drawing much acclaim. It took him a
Princess Grace – I was 18 or 19 at the time,” he says.
mere three weeks to choreograph.
“I remember I had this apartment where you could open up the louvre doors and see the palace. It’s crazy. It’s only now that I realise what an incredible journey that was.” Dusseldorf, Germany was the next stop. Together
Yet he mostly attributes his successful career to the people he has had around him. “I love that fusion – I love working with people. I probably had five or six real mentors who really guided
with his girlfriend, Glenda (who would become his
me, and when I teach now, I try and remind the students
wife), he danced there for six years and was promoted
that this too could happen to you. I talk to them about
to Principal. They had two children and a myriad of
integrity and good work ethic and word-of-mouth,” he says.
opportunities when, in 1986, disaster struck the small town of Chernobyl.
Illustration Paul Boyd by Niqui Toldi
It was the era of Harold Collins’ artistic directorship, and Paul knew him well. The young family bought a home
From dancing for Prince Rainier and Princess Grace
Words by Cassandra Houghton
“It really was a time of great uncertainty and the
(grand parade) for the upcoming opening night of
“I’m so grateful for my career, and I was grateful to all the people who contributed because it doesn’t just
“So we fled, if you like. It was quite a frightening time and we had two little babies – a four-month-old and a two-year-old,” he recalls.
happen, you know…I had so many people who believed in me, and I had a great desire to make it happen. “It has been a great life.”
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ISSUE #2 APRIL 2020
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OFFSTAGE
The sky’s the limit
QUEENSLAND BALLET
Queensland Ballet Academy’s new facility offers elite training in world-class surroundings
Dance in the morning, school in the afternoon: it’s a daily schedule that has become a whole lot easier for Queensland Ballet Academy students since the opening
QB Artistic Director Li Cunxin AO named the purpose-built facility a game changer for Queensland
Kelvin Grove State College (KGSC) this year.
Ballet as a training provider. “Together with Kelvin Grove State College, we
KGSC and Queensland Ballet’s Company studios at
have created an elite ballet training facility that will
West End, the $17.7 million construction of this stunning
attract talented students from across the country and
facility strips the daily travel requirements from the
internationally,” he said.
young dancers’ routines.
“We have students mainly from Queensland but
Featuring six world-class ballet studios, student quarters and dressing rooms, learning and development rooms, and a wellness suite with a physiotherapy treatment room, Pilates and fitness studio and a weights room, the light-filled building opened in time for the school year on January 28.
we aim to attract more from around the country and overseas.” It’s an achievable ambition for the flourishing company. And over the past six months, the Academy established a new exchange partnership with
The official opening on March 6 was attended by the
Ballettschule Theater Basel (BTB) in Switzerland, and
Governor of Queensland, His Excellency the Honourable
also became a partner school of the prestigious Prix
Paul de Jersey AC; Minister Grace Grace; and QB and
de Lausanne – an international ballet competition in
KGSC staff, along with media, key project stakeholders
Switzerland which grants winners scholarships to study
and VIPs.
at any partner school across the world.
Minister Grace said the opening was a historic day for the arts in Brisbane and Queensland.
“Queensland Ballet Academy will create an enduring legacy for future generations…we look forward
“We know how much this amazing centre means
Photo Queensland Ballet Academy by David Kelly
creative direction of Queensland Ballet.”
of the new purpose-built Academy facility onsite at Where once they travelled back and forth between
Words by Cassandra Houghton
from across Australia and overseas to train under the
to our state school students who have their eye on a
to training and nurturing ballet students in this professional, world-class setting,” Li said.
professional career in ballet,” she said. “The centre will support world-class training and education, while also attracting elite dance students
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— queenslandballet.com.au/academy
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OFFSTAGE Sophie Zoricic First Company Artist
Dance is an art form that is transferrable across many different mediums. Company Artist Edward Pope and First Company Artist Sophie Zoricic share how their other creative passions are effortlessly intertwined with ballet Edward Pope Company Artist
Modelling for Collaboration Sophie Zoricic
— As a young boy, Edward would use anything he could
— Sophie discovered her interest in modelling after helping
get his hands on to capture the world around him: an
a colleague by posing for her photography portfolio.
iPod touch, an Olympus underwater camera, even the PhotoBooth application on his iPad. “I was always fascinated by the ability to capture a time and place forever,” he says. Growing up on the Melbourne coast, Edward’s images initially took inspiration from the ocean and other natural
Since then, her hunger for collaborating with other artists has grown. Her modelling portfolio includes partnerships with James St, The Calile Hotel, SWOP Clothing Exchange, and promotional material for Crew Fitness Hub, a gym owned by her partner and former Queensland Ballet dancer, Nathan Scicluna.
elements, but this changed once he took up ballet full
For Sophie, modelling is more than just showing up
time. The studio, he says, is where the magic happens.
on set and posing in front of the camera. She enjoys the
“A human dancer is an incredible machine… how could I not fall in love with photographing my colleagues?” he says. “The thing about an image is that it’s still, it’s
opportunity it provides to collaborate with other artists. “I do really enjoy collaborating because I feel like you get to know different people in that creative realm – like photography, artists, and fashion,” she says.
not going anywhere. I think what I try to achieve
“Every campaign I have done has been through
aesthetically is movement. The feeling of what is
collaborations. People I meet, or friends of friends who
happening before and after the image was taken.”
need someone to shoot.”
Edward believes that, much like ballet, photographs rely on the medium to tell the story. “Ballet is speaking with the body, it’s silent. A picture tells a thousand words, and like ballet, it can’t speak either.” Dancing with Queensland Ballet gives Edward the opportunity to photograph productions from the
Professional dancers must effectively and effortlessly tell a story using only their bodies, and Sophie believes being in front of a camera has helped her refine this skill. “I think you become more aware of your body and the energy you are giving off when you are modelling, and this can come across in the roles you play,” she explains. “Being the only one in front of a camera and having all
wings, allowing his two passions to collide. He has the
eyes on you as opposed to being in a group piece where not
advantage of being familiar with the ballets and can
everyone is watching you…it gives you a lot of confidence.”
recognise which powerful moments to capture. “Having the background knowledge of a ballet helps. You know what kind of mood the picture is and who to follow,” he says. And his favourite lens to photograph with? A Macro Portrait Lens.
But, while a ballet consists of a prescribed set of steps and storyline, Sophie says modelling challenges her awareness of her own body. “You aren’t confined to anything. You aren’t restricted to a technique, a step, a routine. With modelling, you can just let yourself be.”
“It’s supposed to be used for close ups and faces, but I use it in a different way to push its capacity and find something different,” he says. “It’s probably classified as wrong…but I feel like great art comes from the individual, not the rule book.”
ISSUE #2 APRIL 2020
Capturing movement Edward Pope
— Edward Pope and Sophie Zoricic will perform in the 60th Anniversary Gala, rescheduled for October 8-11 at the QPAC Lyric Theatre queenslandballet.com.au/2020/60th-anniversary-gala
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Words by Chelsea Clark Photo Left: Edward Pope, self-portrait Right: Sophie Zoricic by Edward Pope
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SPOTLIGHT ON:
Cuba
QUEENSLAND BALLET
Live music, steamy salsa, pastel-coloured colonial architecture and a tropical backdrop to die for – there’s a lot to love about the island of Cuba. Home to the acclaimed International Ballet Festival of Havana, this picturesque spot attracts dancers the world over and boasts a heady dose of local talent itself.
Queensland Ballet in Cuba
QB’s inaugural Cultural Tour to Cuba, championing wellness at QB, runs October 27 to November 7, 2020. To register your interest, confirm your place/s or for any queries, please contact Rachael Walsh on 3013 6674 or email rwalsh@queenslandballet.com.au
International Ballet Festival of Havana
— In a first for Queensland Ballet, members of
— With a history spanning back to 1960, this
the Company are heading to Cuba for a special
ballet festival is one of the oldest in the world. The
supporters’ cultural tour this October, and all
International Ballet Festival of Havana was created
dance lovers are invited to come along for a
by joint effort of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, the
truly unique travel experience. Daiquiris à la
Instituto Nacional de la Industria Turística, and
Hemingway, private culinary experiences, classic
the cultural organisations of the government, and
cars, guided ballet insights and the chance to
quickly became one of the most transcendental
experience the 27th International Ballet Festival of
events of the national Cuban culture and the
Havana are just a few of the incredible highlights
international ballet scene. Audiences will
– and it’s hosted by one of Queensland Ballet’s
enjoy world premieres, as well as dancers,
stunning Cuban dancers, Principal Artist Yañela
choreographers and companies from all over
Pinera. Yanela will curate each day’s adventure
the world, and spectacular performances across
with a local’s eye, and share personal touches to
multiple theatres and stages.
ensure an experience unlike any other.
Queensland Ballet Principal Artists Yanela Piñera and Camilo Ramos Photo: David Kelly
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Vintage car in Havana, Cuba Photo: Stéphan Valentin @valentinsteph
CUBA
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ISSUE #2 APRIL 2020
Hemingway’s Havana — Literature lovers will no doubt know of a windswept plantation house nestled in Havana where a man by the name of Ernest Hemingway once lived. Finca Vigía, or Lookout Farm, was Hemingway’s home from 1939 to 1960, and the spot where he wrote seven novels, including Islands in the Stream, A Moveable Feast, and The Old Man
Health and Wellness
— Wellness might be a buzzword these days but it’s
and the Sea (in which he writes of a village that
an important one. Queensland Ballet is committed to
was inspired by the nearby port town of Cojimar
the wellbeing of its dancers and ensuring its teams
where he kept his fishing boat, the Pilar). The vast
have career longevity, peak performance and, most
limestone villa, with its thirteen acres of banana
importantly, emotional and mental contentment.
trees, tropical shrubs and casual gardens, stands
QB’s investment in wellness has grown under under
pretty much now as it did when Hemingway and his
the direction of Artistic Director Li Cunxin AO, and
wife Mary left it for the US for the last time. It’s now
the Company's Performance Medicine team is now a
a museum that tourists can explore.
full-time force of experts focused on leading practice. The philanthropic contribution associated with this
Havana, Cuba Photo: Shutterstock
inaugural Cultural Tour to Cuba, and others going
Cayo Guillermo, Cuba, Photo: Shutterstock
forward, will be directed towards QB wellness initiatives.
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QUEENSLAND BALLET
BALLET FACTS
Principal Artist Victor Estèvez By David Kelly
FROM MYTH TO MASTERPIECE: THE ORIGINS OF DRACULA 14
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01
Dracula
FACT
Dracula in the Wallachian language means devil. A popular theory is the character Count Dracula was based on
The name Dracula conjures all sorts of wild and wondrous images; a gothic horror love story amidst medieval European landscapes; castle ruins, enveloped in darkness. Irish author Bram (Abraham) Stoker wrote the 1897 novel about young English lawyer Jonathan Harker who travels to Transylvania to meet Count Dracula for a property transaction, and the story that unfolds after he escapes is one of both infatuation and terror. The novel is presented as a series of gripping diary and journal entries, ship log entries, telegrams and newspaper articles written by the main characters.
the infamously barbaric Vlad III, known as Vlad the Impaler, and born in Transylvania in the 15th Century. He was often called Drăculea, meaning Son of Dracul – a name derived from Latin meaning dragon. In modern Romanian, drac evolved to devil. Despite the theory, many historians think Stoker only found inspiration from Vlad’s name and not his reputation. —
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02
The original 541-page
FACT
manuscript disappeared for more than 50 years, until it
The Un-Dead up until a few
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weeks before publication.
FACT
one of Stoker’s original titles for Dracula, and the manuscript was entitled
—
was discovered in a barn in northwest Pennsylvania in the 1980s. How it got there is unknown. The manuscript is now owned by billionaire Microsoft co-founder,
A short story titled Dracula’s
Paul Allen.
Guest was posthumously
—
published in 1914, two years after Stoker’s death.
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According to many critics, the story is the deleted first or second chapter from the original manuscript, which
FACT
was deemed unnecessary to the overall story by the
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In 2009, an official sequel
publishers.
Dracula was not the first published in London in May 1987 by Archibald Constable and Company, for a cost price of six shillings, it was not a particularly successful financial venture. After Stoker’s death, his widow was forced to sell his notes and outlines of the novels at a Sotheby’s auction in 1913, where
The first motion picture to feature Dracula was Dracula’s Death, produced in Hungary in 1921, and since then there have been countless film, theatre and television productions, along with a few ballets, inspired by the dark, sultry story. —
written by Bram Stoker’s great grand-nephew Dacre Stoker and Ian Holt. —
“I AM QUITE CONVINCED THAT THERE IS NO DOUBT WHATEVER THAT THE EVENTS HERE DESCRIBED REALLY TOOK PLACE, HOWEVER UNBELIEVABLE AND INCOMPREHENSIBLE THEY MIGHT APPEAR AT FIRST SIGHT. AND I AM FURTHER CONVINCED THAT THEY MUST ALWAYS REMAIN TO SOME EXTENT INCOMPREHENSIBLE.”
they were purchased for just over two pounds.
FACT
to the novel was published,
—
FACT
vampire novel, and when it was
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BRAM STOKER, DRACULA
—
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Queensland Ballet’s co-production with West Australian Ballet was choreographed by acclaimed Polish choreographer Krzysztof Pastor and features a dramatic score by Wojciech Kilar, composer for the 1992 film, Bram Stoker’s Dracula. With stunning sets and costumes by international designers, this ballet takes audiences on spellbinding journey across centuries and into a dark world where true love never dies. Queensland Ballet’s co-production of Dracula has been postponed; revised dates to come. queenslandballet.com.au/2020/dracula
ISSUE #2 APRIL 2020
The Dead Un-Dead was
FACT
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COMMUNITY
Taking Flight
QUEENSLAND BALLET
A sense of joy is a common side-effect at Queensland Ballet’s popular Dance for Parkinson’s program — Light traipses through a quiet dance studio in West End where, only hours before, professional ballerinas
the dancers. They collaborate with us as fellow dancers,
leaped and twirled through the air. At 11am on a Sunday
we are treated with dignity, and we dance in space where
morning, the walls of Queensland Ballet’s Studio One
people can relate to each other in terms of what we are
are lined with wheelchairs and walkers. In the corner
going through. You look forward to going, and you never
sits a pianist who strikes a vibrant chord. The Dance for
leave disappointed.”
Parkinson’s class begins, as shaky hands are guided into
to dance with them. For Elizabeth, this is her husband, Jean
to the beat of music.
Michel Ruinard, who happily joins in on the 75-minute class.
Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder
“There is a real sense of belonging,” Jean Michel says.
which involves loss of dopamine from an area of the
Led by QB dance teachers, volunteers from the
brain called the Substantia Nigra, affecting the person’s
community and the Queensland University of Technology,
movement and speech, and causing difficulties with
classes feature repertoire from both classical ballet and
everyday bodily movements. According to Parkinson’s
modern pieces, and often links to Queensland Ballet’s
Australia, on average, 37 new cases of Parkinson’s
performances. On this particular Sunday, there is a focus
disease are diagnosed in Australia every day. Dance for
on improvisation and human connection.
Parkinson’s allow participants to break through their
Using movement and imagination, the participants
limitations and regain control of their bodies through
create the bold lines of the Opera House, the rolling of
the empowering and joyful act of dancing.
ocean waves, and the strength of rock formations. A transformation happens within moments, as legs that were
launched a pilot program in 2013 under Director of Dance
unable to walk into class stand strong and shaky arms
for Parkinson's Australia, Dr Erica Rose Jeffrey. Since then,
stretch upwards towards the sky – the teaching artists
it has run successfully every weekend, bringing people
encouraging them to feel the power of their bodies through
together to share movement, music and friendship.
the different movements.
“It is about possibility rather than limitations. We
But it is more than the simple act of dancing which
believe in creating opportunities for older people to dance
makes this class so transformational. The combination
and feel inspired,” Erica Rose says.
of physical and cognitive engagement ignites areas of the
Elizabeth Ruinard has been attending Dance for
brain affected by Parkinson’s disease. Through dance, the
Parkinson’s at QB since 2013. An avid art lover and
participants are working on their balance, coordination
academic, Elizabeth has always had a passion for the
and memory. The class allows participants to create
humanities.
something greater than themselves, a change that is both
“I’ve had Parkinson’s disease for ten years and it makes
Photo Dance for Parkinson’s participants by Christian Tiger
Participants are invited to bring along a family member
first position, and aching legs stomp away rhythmically
The program was founded in America in 2001, and QB
Words by Ellen Gilroy
“I am so grateful to Queensland Ballet, our teachers and
you feel trapped inside your body. When I dance, I feel liberated,” Elizabeth says.
remarkable and emotional to witness. For every participant in the room there is an underlying sense of achievement that comes at the conclusion of
“I love the improvisation, the collaboration with
every class; emotionally, physically, socially and mentally.
teachers to create choreography and of course the sound
Through dance they discover liberation, igniting a passion
of the live music.
to reclaim the body’s desire to feel joy through movement.
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For the Love Passion for Queensland Ballet’s dance camps is thriving across regional Queensland
camp that Queensland Ballet Education and Engagement Co-ordinator Lily Spencer loves the best. All the children gather onstage at the community hall,
“But it’s really nice because you see the students build relationships with each other.” This year’s theme for the camps is The Sleeping Beauty, with repertoire based on Queensland Ballet’s
or the town’s entertainment centre, or wherever they’ve
2020 production of the ballet at QPAC’s Lyric
carved out space for the camp, and perform for an
Theatre in September. Over the four days, students
audience of mums, dads, grandparents and guardians.
learn three different dance pieces in ballet, jazz, and
It’s the accumulation of planning, travel and days of
contemporary categories. The Teaching Artists tailor
practice – and the show is always worth the wait.
and manage the class work for the different skill levels.
“Everyone works so hard in the lead up to it, and we
Locations are chosen via Queensland Ballet’s
do the rehearsals and get them on stage and the kids just
ongoing partnerships with regional councils, or the
pull it together – and the parents are so happy at the end
Teaching Artists gather requests from people in small
of it,” Lily says.
towns and explore funding options. They have 30, 40,
“They’re so thankful, and they love seeing their children up on the stage. That’s definitely my favourite part of the camps.” Queensland Ballet has been delivering four-day dance
and 60-student class models – and yes, they do sell out. “We only planned to have one Sunshine Coast dance camp this year, but because it sold out so
camps to regional areas across Queensland during the
quickly and there were so many people on the waitlist,
school holidays since 2015. The first two-day camp was
we decided to add another camp straight away. It’s
introduced last year. Open to children aged five to 15
fantastic. We had 80 students all up,” Lily adds.
years with all skill levels and experience, the camps are a vessel for community engagement in small towns where opportunities such as learning ballet are not always readily available. So far, the most remote camp QB has provided was
The other big one they’re looking forward to this year is the Shell QGC-sponsored camp in Gladstone. “It’s nice to see the impact the camps have on the communities,” she says. “After the camps a lot of parents say ‘my child just
in Chinchilla (about four hours’ drive west of Brisbane)
wants to dance every day now and we’ve enrolled them
in 2015 and 2019, sponsored by Shell QGC. One of the
in classes’.
students had travelled four hours to attend.
ISSUE #2 APRIL 2020
— There’s a moment at the end of each regional dance
“It does spark a love of dance.”
“We see a lot of locals but we also have people who travel to the camps, usually from the surrounding towns,” Lily says. “They see it as an opportunity that they’re not going to get again that year. “It’s such a unique environment – we often say ‘only at dance camps’, because having 30 students for whole days at a time keeps you on your toes and so much happens.
— To find out more about QB's Dance for Parkinson’s classes or dance camps, visit queenslandballet.com.au/community
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Words by Cassandra Houghton Photo Dance Camp participants by Ali Cameron
Photos Top: Company Artist Mali Comlekci By David Kelly Bottom: former Young Artist Josie Frick By David Kelly Right: Pointe Shoes by Edward Pope
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QUEENSLAND BALLET
SPIRIT
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ISSUE #2 APRIL 2020
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Photo by David Kelly Principal Artist Lucy Green
Queensland queenslandballet.com.au