A step or series of steps in ballet. Welcome to the thirteenth edition
I always say Queensland Ballet’s best assets are our people, and within our wonderful Company are so many stories. We love having this platform to share them with you, whether it’s on your tablet, sitting alfresco at a Brisbane café, or in the foyer of our own home, the Thomas Dixon Centre.
As we pass the halfway mark of 2024, we are fast approaching our blockbuster ballet of the year, Coco Chanel: the Life of a Fashion Icon. Turn to page 10 and you’ll find an in-depth interview with its incredible costume designer, Jérôme Kaplan.
Meanwhile, it’s the seventh season of our annual contemporary program Bespoke, this year featuring three world premieres by three renowned choreographers –Katina Olsen, Milena Sidorova, and Jack Lister. Katina’s piece, gundirgan, wise woman, has been a rich journey of collaboration, and we’ve documented it in story and image form, from page 4.
There’s also glimpses into our Academy dancers at the World Science Festival Brisbane, stunning photos from this year’s regional tour, and much more.
gundirgan, wise woman: a timeline
The story behind Katina Olsen’s First Nations work for Queensland Ballet’s Bespoke
08 – 09
FEATURE Eight questions
With our new Senior Soloist, Alison McWhinney
10–11
FEATURE
Talking Fashion with Jérôme Kaplan the Set and Costume Designer of Coco Chanel: the Life of a Fashion Icon.
12–13
FEATURE
Drawing Dance
Queensland Ballet Academy makes its mark at World Science Festival
14–16
FEATURE
Offstage at Queensland Ballet
Free boys classes at Queensland Ballet + the Thomas Dixon Centre achieves a world-first WELL certification
17
GALLERY
Queensland Ballet At Home and On Tour
Continuing our beloved tradition of touring since the 1960s
Currently, our new Artistic Director Leanne Benjamin and the team are busily creating a stellar program for 2025. We look forward to sharing all the details in our next edition of Pas in December.
But for now, enjoy the rest of this season — we’ll see you in the theatre!
Dilshani Weerasinghe Executive Director
Acknowledgement of Country
Queensland Ballet acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and perform. Long before we performed on this land, it played host to the dance expression of our First Nations Peoples. We pay our respects to their Elders — past, present and emerging — and acknowledge the valuable contribution they have made and continue to make to the cultural landscape of this country.
Every effort has been made to ensure that all information was correct at the time of printing, however, details are subject to change where necessary and without notice. Please check queenslandballet.com.au for updates.
Photo
Photo by
What’s on
SEASON 2024
Photo
Photo by David Kelly
A TIMELINE gundirgan, wise woman:
The story behind Katina Olsen’s First Nations work for Queensland Ballet’s Bespoke.
FEATURE
Words Cassandra Houghton
Photos
Neneka Yoshida; Katina Olsen and
Hargreaves
Photos by Angharad Gladding
Katina Olsen, Choreographer
May 2023:
The catalyst was music, and the rest came together piece by piece, in a collaboration of creativity.
“This is blending Western art music tradition which is quite young, some 400 years old, with the ancient music and instrument of our First Nations peoples’ some 65,000 years old.” – SXS General Manager, Maxine Williamson.
It was a mild Brisbane Autumn day when Southern Cross Soloists (SXS) pitched a ballet and music collaboration to Queensland Ballet in the upper-level offices of the Thomas Dixon Centre. In the meeting, Artistic Directors from both companies (Tania Frazer and Li Cunxin AO respectively) as well as SXS International Ambassador Professor Seán O’Boyle AM discussed SXS’s Didgeridoo Commissioning Project (DCP) – an ambitious project to collaborate with established composers to commission three new works for didgeridoo and classical ensemble every year for the next 10 years.
Li loved the idea of a First Nations ballet and scheduled it for Bespoke 2024. Music would be commissioned by SXS through their DCP, featuring Wakka Wakka didgeridoo soloist and SXS Artist in Residence, Chris Williams, and composed by Chris and Seán.
July – December 2023:
Choreographer and musicians yarn and zoom
“Yarning with the people and the children and grandchildren of Maureen Williams has been my inspiration. The stories about her are reflected and honoured in the music.” – Professor Seán O’Boyle.
Seán O’Boyle, Chris Williams, and Katina jump on Zoom to discuss extending the music for the ballet. Katina begins to storyboard her vision, while Sean flies from the USA to the Sunshine Coast for a month to work on it in person. After writing the score and assembling the various elements to make a cohesive ballet, the rehearsal recording is scheduled to be ready by the 10th of June, 2024 – about 6 weeks before opening night. Among the instruments we will hear during the performance are the didgeridoo, voice, oboe, cor anglais, flügelhorn, violin, viola, cello and piano.
Seán: “There is much new material to incorporate into the score. Chris and I created the opening with the sounds of air, didgeridoo and the other instruments making forest sounds and birdsong. Snippets of music from what’s to come are heard. I have worked with the Didgeridoo for the past 25 years and I love blending western art music with the sound of Australia (and) working with dance is a special challenge as the music serves the dance.”
June 2023: Enter Katina Olsen
“Katina was the perfect fit.” – Queensland Ballet Executive Producer, Craig Cathcart.
Queensland Ballet sourced its networks and Katina Olsen was the perfect fit. With a career spanning from Bangarra Dance Theatre to companies throughout Australia and internationally, the choreographer’s interests traverse her own Wakka Wakka and Kombumerri Cultural knowledges, dance and story with contemporary dance, film, theatre, moving sculpture and installation. Katina was immediately interested.
Katina: “I said absolutely – I’d love to choreograph for the Company, in a full circle way as well. This year is our QDSE (Queensland Dance School of Excellence*) 20-year reunion so it feels like a really beautiful time to come back and choreograph for Queensland Ballet. It’s a company I watched and looked up to when I was a student. When I came for the meeting, it was incredible to see how the building has changed, but also see the integrity of the old building, and see my old teachers. It was and is an amazing facility for dancers.”
July 2023:
Exploring the story concept of gundirgan, wise woman
Katina and SXS decide to adapt the story concept of The Wise Woman – a composition which was first performed to a sell-out audience at the Sunshine Coast Chamber Music Festival in 2023. The longer version for the ballet would be composed by Seán O’Boyle and Chris Williams. The story centres on Chris’s grandmother Maureen Williams, a fierce education advocate from the mid-20th century.
Katina: “The work I’m creating is about Aunty Maureen Williams, a strong Wakka Wakka woman. She was one of these women that opened the doors for generations after her. She’s also family. The era Aunty Maureen lived in was quite different to the one I have been brought up in. And because of my own female Wakka Wakka Elders (similar to Aunty Maureen) I had certain privileges because of the work that they did in their generation. It’s a special work that celebrates those Aboriginal women in our lives that have done so much against such adversity for our future generations.”
2024:
The story takes shape
Katina: “My choreographic process starts before I step into a studio. Before I even begin, I spend time on Country yarning with my Elders and community. It’s imperative that Cultural protocol is upheld and respected. Once I have a clear idea and permission from my Elders, I spend a lot of time in improvisation gathering ideas for movement. I fill my mind and my body with these stories, yarns and all that Cultural information, then allow that to come through my body as I create dance.”
Katina begins work with the Queensland Ballet dancers at the Thomas Dixon Centre, introducing them to different styles of movement, storytelling, and choreography, as well as visits from Aunty Maureen’s children and Cultural Consultants of the work, Aunty Sue-Ann and Uncle Kevin Williams.
Company Artist Ines Hargreaves: “From what we’ve heard about Aunty Maureen, both from her own family as well as Katina, she’s nothing short of exemplary. Through unflinching altruism, she was willing to work tirelessly and make sacrifices to ensure her children were given an education to succeed in the white world. Hearing her children tearfully reflect on her life and their upbringings was a reminder of how important family is.
“Most importantly, it’s crucial these stories are told. There is so much culture and history that must be shared, and being able to do this through dance is such a gift. Being Queensland Ballet’s first piece by a First Nations choreographer, I do hope this opens the door to many more opportunities to share stories like this in the future.”
May 2024: Going on country
Now a year into the project, Katina takes a group, including dancers and Queensland Ballet staff, to Wakka Wakka country, in Ban Ban Springs, west of the Sunshine Coast.
Ines: “It was such a privilege to have had the opportunity to experience such a special few days of togetherness and admiration for another culture. We were unsure of exactly what to expect of the trip, though we could sense the importance and deeply rooted significance of Ban Ban Springs through conversations with Katina and those close to her.
“Upon arrival, the emotional energy was palpable. We removed our shoes and felt the earth under our feet, dipped our fingers into the bubbling springs, and shared stories of Aunty Maureen Williams — an Elder and significant figure of the Wakka Wakka and Kombumerri peoples, and whose story we are sharing — under the shade of an enormous gum tree. There was laughter, tears and almost everything in between, and I found myself feeling incredibly emotional all day.
“We were lucky enough to have Chris Williams masterfully play his didgeridoo while we shared a few minutes of movement together; feeling the energy of the earth and sun and moving in whatever way felt right to us at the time. It was the second occasion we’d had Chris play for us, and it’s hard to put into words just how impactful and chill-inducing it is to dance to such hypnotically rich sound.”
April 2024: Designing costumes with Noelene Hill
Queensland Ballet Resident Costume Designer/Archivist meets with Katina to discuss Aunty Maureen Williams, along with Ban Ban Springs as the sacred site for Wakka Wakka people. Inspired by story and country, Noelene spends time considering all the elements, sketching ideas and sharing concepts with Katina. Influenced by the colour palette of Ban Ban Springs, as well as the style of Katina’s choreography, she meets with our cutters, costumiers, art finishers and other members of Queensland Ballet’s costume team, where they decide on final designs.
Noelene Hill: “Designing costumes is a collaborative process and no matter what ballet I am designing for, they all stem from the choreographer’s vision for their work and the story they are wanting to tell. For me, costumes and choreography should have a symbiotic relationship in telling the story — so considering the setting and the story, who the characters are, the style of the costumes (are they representative, realistic or set in a particular period?) and the style of the choreography are equally important.
“Working with Katina on her ballet has been a privilege — a humbling and enlightening experience. Being part of a creative team in bringing a work to life is exciting and rewarding and I look forward to the moment that the first curtain rises and we see it come to life for the audience on stage.”
May-July 2024: Collaborative choreography
Katina will spend a few weeks in the Thomas Dixon Centre studios between May and July in three multi-day sessions, creating choreography with the dancers themselves.
Ines: “In the early days of creation, Kat encouraged a lot of our own improvisation and building of phrases; something that certainly doesn’t always come naturally to ballet dancers, though the studio always seemed to be brimming with enthusiasm and ideas flowing out of every dancer. From here, Kat would seamlessly knit together our individual phrases and inject particular motifs and meaning, and before long we had created 20 minutes worth of dancing.”
July 2024: Opening Night: “Unsung Hero”
After more than a year of yarning, music composition, and exploring movement and Australian stories, gundirgan, wise woman will come together on the Talbot Theatre stage to tell an important First Nations story of an ‘unsung hero’. With the support of Queensland Ballet, Guest Soloist and Mingunberri woman Tara Robertson (Bangarra Dance Theatre) has been engaged to embody Aunty Maureen’s story, and will perform alongside Queensland Ballet dancers.
Musicians from Southern Cross Soloists will perform with the dancers live onstage.
Ines: “I think I’m most excited to see how those who were close to Aunty Maureen respond to the piece. Since we’re portraying a story that is deeply personal to so many, there’s definitely a sense of pressure to do it justice, which I know we’re all eager to achieve.
“I’ve found the process to be really unique in its own way; perhaps the amalgamation of how collaborative it’s been, the nature of the storyline and just how great Kat is to work with. The creation as a whole has been overwhelmingly positive and inspiring.”
Katina: “It’s really exciting to be given this opportunity to help tell the story of Aunty Maureen Williams and be guided by her family. I’m excited to have Queensland Ballet audiences see this work through another perspective, another lens and told through a contemporary form. I see that as part of spreading the awareness, understanding and education about our history.
“What’s really important to me is remembering the platform that I now have to speak our truth and history proudly without fear of retribution that our people had in the past is something that even my own mother, my grandmother and great grandmother never had in their time. To have this beautiful responsibility, to be able to share THE story and the truth of that history through dance, an art form we’ve continued practicing for thousands of years, is really special.”
See gundirgan, wise woman as part of Bespoke 2024 at the Thomas Dixon Centre. To book tickets, visit queenslandballet.com.au
*Queensland Dance School of Excellence was a program established in partnership with Queensland Ballet and the Queensland Government’s Department of Education and Training that ran from 1982-2015.
Music for Katina Olsen’s work is performed and commissioned by Southern Cross Soloists (SXS) and the SXS Didgeridoo Commissioning Project, composed by Seán O’Boyle AM and Chris Williams, featuring Wakka Wakka didgeridoo soloist and SXS Artist in Residence, Chris Williams.
Our gratitude goes to Marion Pender for generously supporting the Southern Cross Soloists collaboration in this production.
Recording Technology Partner – Moravian University
Photos L-R Katina Olsen and Artists in the studio; Company Artists Ines Hargreaves and Dylan Lackey on country; Auntie Sue-Ann on country; Uncle Kevin and Auntie Sue-Ann visit rehearsals at the Thomas Dixon Centre Photos by Angharad Gladding
QUESTIONS WITH OUR NEW SENIOR SOLOIST, ALISON MCWHINNEY
After almost two decades dancing with the prestigious English National Ballet, Alison McWhinney is returning home to Australia to join Queensland Ballet. Hailing from Port Macquarie, she joined the English National Ballet in 2005, became Senior Soloist in 2017, and performed iconic roles such as Juliet in Rudolf Nureyev’s Romeo and Juliet , Myrtha and Giselle in Mary Skeaping’s Giselle , and the coveted title role in Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon . We caught up with Alison for eight quick questions as she was preparing to leave London for sunny Queensland.
Cassandra Houghton
is Mary Skeaping’s Giselle;
MacMillan’s Manon
01—What are you most excited about for your future at Queensland Ballet?
Working with new people and choreographers, especially Leanne — she has worked with so many people who were instrumental in shaping how ballet is today. I’m so keen to absorb all the knowledge that I can. And to learn all that I can so I can put it back into my work onstage.
02—Favourite aspect of being a dancer?
Becoming so absorbed in a role and the music and just getting carried away by it, not even thinking anymore — just living it.
03—Do you have any daily habits?
One I have before going onstage is that I have to retie and readjust my pointe shoes several times before performing. I don’t like feeling rushed so I generally always arrive pretty early for class and rehearsal so I can prepare properly before starting.
04—Who inspires you?
The people who inspire me are my mum and dad, they helped me live my dream and supported me every step of the way making so many sacrifices just so I could dance. My ballet teachers Miss Allyn and Mr Killar who taught me to be an artist and developed my love of storytelling. Then people like Irek Mukhamedov who I worked with a lot, he is such a star but the kindest most down to earth man and a wonderful generous coach who always made me feel at ease. Of course many dancers like Alina Cojocaru, who I looked up to a lot as a young dancer. And also the dancers that surround me everyday in class and rehearsals — you really can learn a lot from watching and it’s so nice to see how everyone has their own unique gifts.
05—Favourite piece of music?
My favourite piece of music is in Manon, Act II, after everyone has left the stage right before the card game. Des Grieux is pleading with you and Manon is walking away then he turns her right around in front of him and gives her a desperate look. The music here always gives me goosebumps, it just fits so well with the feelings in that moment.
06—Highlights of your career so far?
It would be dancing Juliet - this was my first principal role and I loved all the pas de deux and storytelling and drama. It has been so nice also to come back to that role several times to develop the way I interpret her, and change it up as I gain more experience.
Secondly would be dancing Manon — this was my number one dream role since I was young. I think I fell in love with the music initially, and then getting to dance it years later was such a wonderful process, the choreography feels so good in your body and I loved how challenging that role was for me to find myself in. I could dance that ballet every day, the music just takes you there.
Thirdly would be getting to create a ballet with Yuri Possokhov. He has the commitment to do the music justice that I really appreciated, and I loved his movement style, so romantic. Having a role created on you is so special, it feels so personal.
07—How have you grown throughout your career – what have you learned about yourself or the industry?
Since I was a student, I feel like I have changed the way I approach dance. I used to think technique was everything and would focus mainly on the steps and just add musicality and artistry on top, but as I have grown and gained more experience, I think artistry and musicality are the things that make your technique. The way you feel the music through your body really shows when you dance and it also makes dancing so satisfying. I have grown to love acting roles and discovering stories and how I can interpret them through my body and music.
And as I now have a daughter, I see how time is so precious — she grows so fast, I don’t want to waste any time I spend away from her so I’m really keen to make the most of every minute I have in the studio.
08—What are you looking forward to the most about living back in Australia?
I’m looking forward to being reunited with my family, waking up to the sunshine, going to the beach and raising my daughter surrounded by nature. But I’m also looking forward to just about everything!
FASHION Talking
with Jérôme Kaplan - the Set and Costume Designer of Coco Chanel: the Life of a Fashion Icon.
and kindly shared with permission by
Known for her couture, Chanel No. 5 fragrance, and the Little Black Dress that Vogue called “the frock that all the world will wear”, Coco Chanel rose from humble beginnings as a seamstress to become one of the greatest fashion icons of the 20th century.
This was your first time working with choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. How did it all begin?
Work on Coco Chanel: The Life of a Fashion Icon commenced at the end of 2020. We began with different mood boards and initial sketches of sets and costumes. I proposed the idea of having an abstract space from which to tell Chanel’s story. There are so many things to say about Chanel’s life–her work, her fashion, her love affairs– that I felt it better to keep the set simple. Just like her style: simple, elegant, and minimalist. How did you draw inspiration from Chanel’s minimalist aesthetic?
We drew inspiration for the sets from the Chanel No. 5 perfume bottle. Annabelle and I visited Chanel Retrospective at the Palais Galleria in Paris in 2020, a showcase of Chanel’s history,
legacy, and fashion. There we saw the original bottle of Chanel No. 5, and its simplicity was inspiring. I was amazed at how it hadn’t really changed in over 100 years– the bottle looks almost exactly the same today. It truly is timeless. In Coco Chanel: The Life of a Fashion Icon, I wanted to create something timeless, something that will last for many years to come.
The set in the first act of the ballet is completely off-white with black lines, a nod to the white box of the famous perfume. As we follow Chanel’s story, we witness the death of her true love, Boy Capel, at the end of act one. The light suddenly transcends into darkness. In stark comparison, we created the set for the second act in black, as a backdrop to the darker times in her life.
So significant was Chanel’s minimalist designs, that even the stairs were created in off-white with a black outline, again evocating the Chanel No. 5 perfume bottle.
FEATURE
Words Atlanta Ballet staff
Photos
All images of Hong Kong Ballet
Above left: Dancers Alexander Yap, Ashleigh Bennett, Gao Ge.
Below right: Dancers Yang Ruiqi, Gao Ge
Photos by Conrad Dy-Liacco
Jérôme Kaplan
Set and Costume Designer
Jérôme Kaplan’s portrait by David Amzallag
Interview by Atlanta Ballet staff,
Atlanta Ballet.
Tell us more about the stairs. We’ve heard that these elegant, curved staircases are used extensively in various scenes of the ballet.
For Annabelle, the staircases play an integral part theatrically. A recognizable icon of the House of Chanel, for us they also symbolize Chanel’s rise to the top, from her humble beginnings as a seamstress to the launch of a global fashion empire. I like to think the stairs suggest Chanel’s destiny, from her poverty-stricken origins to her eventual success as an iconic designer.
Using a pair of staircases enabled us to showcase Chanel’s love affairs and the comings and goings of the men in her life, from the departure of Etienne Balsan to the arrival of Boy Capel. I loved the way Annabelle choreographed so creatively and extensively with the stairs.
There are other transformative pieces in the ballet too. Simple chairs, all hanging dramatically from the ceiling, become exquisite chandeliers to showcase the home and lifestyle of the wealthy Balsan. The seamstress tables also play a big choreographic role, in the scene about Coco’s empire.
Coco Chanel: the Life of a Fashion Icon, relives fashion history through dance. How much did you reference history and what influence did it have on your costume designs?
At the Palais Galleria we saw a wonderful collection of Chanel’s fashion and designs over the years, and gathered so much inspiration for the sets and costumes. Firstly, we looked at Chanel’s style, which was very simple. Then we looked a little closer, and when you look deeply, you see that her simplicity is elegance. Chanel believed that less is more and that women shouldn’t be disguised. Chanel’s famous black dress was the most important historically. It gave women the freedom to break free from the traditional corsets, which were very stiff, uncomfortable, and impractical. Moreover, ladies needed help to put them on, so only the rich could afford to buy the dresses of that time. Chanel, in contrast, made something very simple that any woman could wear. Her designs were about giving women freedom, especially the freedom to work. Chanel became very famous after the First World War, where women did a lot for their country and wanted to keep working. They were liberated. And Chanel was part of that revolution.
Chanel loved to wear men’s clothes. Her fashion was inspired by the men in her life: the wealthy Balsan, an ex-military officer and textile heir; and Boy Capel, a British tycoon and polo player. Few photographs existed in color at that time, so applying color to the stage costumes was challenging. I gave Boy Capel an English gentleman look, with a tweed jacket and a touch of country-style color. I wanted to create clear, distinctive color palettes for each
of the main characters so they could be easily recognizable by the audience: Balsan a subdued lilac, Wertheimer (director of the Chanel No. 5 perfume company) a more outstanding red to depict his showy personality, for example.
Chanel was her own muse and tested fashion on herself first. Take her famous Breton look, with the white pants. She took inspiration from the sailors she saw in Deauville and re-created the look on herself. Chanel’s designs were not only simple and elegant, but practical. Think about her shoes; they are white with a black tip, so they never get dirty.
How did the choreography and music influence your designs?
Peter Salem’s musical score is incredibly exciting and helped dramatize the scene that portrayed the arrival of the new fashion look – the ‘Nouvelle Vague’. Chanel was upset about this silhouette with the superfluous fabric and a tight waistline. To her, this style was impractical. The music, theatre and fashion in this production were a result of wonderful artistic collaboration. I was very privileged to work with such a talented team.
There are some scenes where the choreography is quite technical, and the costumes needed to work technically as well. In the scene where Chanel and her seamstresses are dressing the famous actress Gabrielle Dorziat, they are laying a Chanel-designed dress over her current dress on stage, totally changing her silhouette. The dress change had to be quick and easy to do on stage, while also connecting to the choreography. I decided to dress Gabrielle Dorziat in Chanel’s fringe dress, which was very close to the original design on display at the Palais Galleria.
What was it like to emulate the fashion of such an iconic designer?
The last scene features a fashion show of Chanel’s designs. I created dresses using monochromatic tones of beige, off-white, gray, silver, black and dark blue. I wasn’t aware initially that there was no color in Chanel’s designs, her focus was more on the cut and style, with the prominent use of neutral tones. It has been a wonderful journey of discovery for me.
My assistant, Mark Zappone, was very artistic and found beautiful fabrics for the production, including for the final fashion scene, in New York. He designed the camellias, Chanel’s favorite flower that featured extensively in her designs, particularly on jewelry. We created an ‘arch of camellias’ for the backdrop of the Chanel No. 5 perfume scene, as well as a stunning camellia dress. Mark started with sketches, then a prototype of a white flower. He created four prototypes before we eventually decided on what was right for the production.
Will we see some of your own style and fashion influence on stage?
In the first act, the hat scene is choreographed to showcase the very beginning of Chanel’s design career as a milliner. The hats used in the ballet were inspired by Chanel’s hats when she owned her first shop, and we had to closely consider the best way to recreate the look in Hong Kong, where the production first premiered. Initially, I sent the hat designs to a milliner, but, having seen how important they were to the story, I decided to design and create them myself and then adjust them as needed to work with the choreography. I used a lot of different materials, including feathers, and became a milliner!
You said in an interview with Hong Kong Vogue, that you “hope to pass on a small piece of [Coco Chanel’s] huge legacy.”
Do you feel you have accomplished that?
Chanel loved the fact that women used her designs as inspiration and I feel she would take what we have done as a compliment. In the streets of Hong Kong, I saw women wearing copies of her designs. Their outfits didn’t have to be the real thing – the women were just emulating her style. Which is what I hoped to do with this ballet. I tried to be a good assistant of Chanel! For me, it was an honor and I hope I have paid great tribute to her.
Witness Jérôme Kaplan’s stunning stage designs and exquisite costumes in Coco Chanel: the Life of a Fashion Icon, from 4-19 October at The Lyric Theatre, QPAC. To book tickets, visit queenslandballet.com.au
A co-production of Queensland Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet, and Atlanta Ballet, first performed in Hong Kong, China, on 24 March 2023.
DRAWING Dance
Queensland Ballet Academy makes its mark at World Science Festival
What happens when you combine dancers with an interactive artwork, outdoors at a science festival?
That was the question posed by European artist Karina Smigla-Bobinski, whose ‘post-digital drawing machine’ ADA featured at the recent World Science Festival in Brisbane.
Across two weekends in March, dancers from Queensland Ballet Academy’s Contemporary Course had the exciting opportunity to interact and perform with the sculpture ADA in a semi-transparent white space alongside the Brisbane River, with sunshine and the city’s architecture providing a unique backdrop. Usually reserved for museum and gallery rooms, it was ADA’s first time in the outdoors since it began touring worldwide more than a decade ago.
Louise Deleur, Head of Contemporary Dance at the Academy, said it was an incredible chance for the dancers they couldn’t pass up.
“The World Science Festival contacted the Academy and a few other independent artists looking for dancers to interact with the artwork, which was a huge helium-filled ball with charcoalfilled spikes that was incredibly fun to work with,” Louise recalls.
“It was a great creative learning experience for them. It took them out into the world and into a collaborative space to improvise and perform and there is no better way to develop one’s skillset than with an opportunity like this. And they were amazing.”
Smigla-Bobinksi describes ADA as an artwork with a soul, a piece that invites engagement with one of the most primal forms of communication – mark making. It was inspired by computer scientist Ada Lovelace, and with each human interaction it leaves patterns on the walls and the floor. The first dancer to interact with it was at an exhibition in Vancouver, Canada. After that, more dancers have been encouraged or invited to try it.
To prepare for their performances, Academy dancers attended a weekday workshop with other independent dancers from across Brisbane. Then, they were on their own.
“The other dancers were older and more experienced, particularly in improvisation, and it was really valuable for our students to see how they worked in this space,” Louise says.
“It was nice for them to see how other dancers approached improvisation tasks, and how they moved. Experiences like these really enhance the development of the dancers and broaden their knowledge of the art form and the collaborative possibilities of dance. They can change one’s perception of what dance can be, or what you could be as a dancer.”
Over two weekends during the festival, the dancers engaged with ADA for a five-minute performance every half an hour before handing it over to the public to try. They chose to do both solo and duo performances, and every performance was different.
And yes, the weather made an impact.
“There were a few downpours!” Louise says. “We had to cancel a couple of performances because it was too slippery. But overall, it was a really beautiful interaction, and we were proud to be the first city to host ADA outdoors. We felt really happy and excited to be given this opportunity.”
Queensland Ballet Academy’s Contemporary Course equips dancers with a strong hybrid skill set across both ballet and contemporary techniques, in preparation for pre-professional and tertiary contemporary dance studies. Designed for dancers entering Year 11 and 12, they develop a range of contemporary dance techniques and specialised skills including partnering, improvisation and choreography.
The World Science Festival was just one of the many performance opportunities available to the young dancers.
“They did us proud, as always. It was wonderful to see them grow in their skills and confidence throughout the process and from the interaction with other artists,” Louise says.
“I think they left with a broader knowledge of what is possible in the arts.”
For more information on the Contemporary Course and other training programs at Queensland Ballet Academy, visit academy.queenslandballet.com.au
THE BALLET BOYS
Project
Free weekly dance classes have just launched at Queensland Ballet with a catch – they’re for boys only!
There’s an exciting new dance initiative in Brisbane that seems too good to be true, but it’s not; Queensland Ballet has launched free weekly classes for boys who are enjoying ballet in the community sector, sometimes as the only boy in their class.
Designed to address the decline in boys in ballet, particularly since the pandemic and particularly in Australia, the classes are the first part of the broader Ballet Boys Project launched by Queensland Ballet this year. This initiative aims to remove barriers for boys wanting to take ballet classes by offering these boys-only classes at no cost, with no uniform and no audition required.
Queensland Ballet Executive Director Dilshani Weerasinghe says Queensland Ballet is taking the decline of boys in dance seriously and is committed to changing the trend.
“This is a unique opportunity to bring together boys who are enjoying ballet in the community sector, sometimes as the only boy in their class,” she says.
“We are thrilled to launch these classes for boys, and hope the students will have the opportunity to forge new friendships, enjoy a safe and encouraging environment, and be inspired by other boys and men pursuing their love of dance in our incredible facilities.
“This is just one of a number of initiatives planned to address the issue of boys in ballet.”
The Monday afternoon classes, split between Queensland Ballet’s home at the Thomas Dixon Centre at West End and the Academy’s world-class facilities at Kelvin Grove, will focus on male ballet technique, supplementing the training the
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students are receiving from their community dance schools and teachers. Taught by Academy Director Christian Tàtchevwhose own ballet training led to a career as a Principal Dancer both in Australia and internationally, as well as other leading teachers from Queensland Ballet and the Academy’s faculty, the classes will be fully subsidised by Queensland Ballet.
This incredible opportunity, to be taught by industry-leading professionals at the home of Queensland Ballet and the Academy, begins this July.
For more information, visit the website: queenslandballet.com.au/events/the-ballet-boys-project Support the next generation of artists this Giving Day, 8 August 2024: queenslandballet.com.au/support/giving-day
Words Cassandra Houghton
Photo By David Kelly
HERITAGE MEETS
Queensland Ballet achieves world-first WELL Certification™ for the Thomas Dixon Centre innovation
Once a boot factory in the small farming community of 19th century West End, the Thomas Dixon Centre has now become the world’s first WELL certified performing arts centre at the Platinum level.
The WELL Building Standard is an evidence-based, performance certification system that marries best practices in design and construction with policy and operational strategies. Queensland Ballet’s home earned the distinction based on its ten concepts of Air, Water, Light, Nourishment, Movement, Thermal Performance, Sound, Materials, Mind and Community.
10 years in the making, the incredible development has involved a complex restoration of the heritage-listed building, adaptive reuse of the spaces, and the addition of contemporary new facilities including the 351-seat Talbot Theatre, six dance studios, wellness suite, dancer facilities, fully accessible amenities, a rooftop terrace, bar, restaurant and three public works.
As with any ambitious project, there have been many challenges along the journey. Looking back, Queensland Ballet Executive Director Dilshani Weerasinghe says it’s a tremendous accomplishment for a not-for-profit organisation.
“Rare projects such as this one require a rare team: tenacious, bold and generous. The achievement of WELL this year is
a result of relentless dedication of many visionaries and partners,” she says.
“Throughout the process, they demonstrated our commitment to the wellbeing of all those who interact with the Thomas Dixon Centre – artists, arts workers, arts students, participants in our dance health programs, and our wider community.
“I would like to acknowledge Li Cunxin AO, former Artistic Director; Brett Clark AM, Board Chair; the Department of Housing, Local Government, Planning and Public Works; our Visionary Donors and Capital Partners; xburo engineers, led by Ellis Wilson, Hansen Yuncken, David Gole and Tamarind Taylor from Architectus Conrad Gargett, and Queensland Ballet’s Director of Precincts and Capital Projects, Lucas Gilroy, for sharing our vision and their determination in realising it.”
The revelation we had outgrown our home dawned more than 10 years ago, when the Queensland Ballet team realised its world-class vision juxtaposed with its beautiful but cramped 100+ year old building. The Company then entered a period of rapid growth under former Artistic Director Li Cunxin AO and by 2016, the Thomas Dixon Centre had become a rabbit warren stretched far beyond its limits. In 2018, the team moved offsite to a temporary building down the road; it would be another four years before we would move back in again.
Zara Gomes, Director of Queensland Ballet Van Norton Li
Community Health Institute, remembers the old building and says the introduction of WELL simply provided the guidelines for the wellbeing goals they were working towards anyway.
“We could have renovated the Thomas Dixon Centre without the WELL considerations and it would have been a less expensive project,” Zara says.
“But a lot of those concepts, we had already been working towards, and so the WELL requirements help us with detailed guidelines about how to make it happen. We genuinely want to improve health and wellbeing across Queensland Ballet and those who engage with us.”
She says WELL is not just related to the stunning built environment; it’s also in our programs.
“It’s in the educational commitments to our staff on health and wellbeing, and the support we offer, and our community programs like Dance for Parkinson’s, Ballet for Brain Injury, and the Ballet for Seniors, Yoga and Pilates classes. And all of this will be increasing steadily, tailored to people’s needs,” Zara says.
“If people feel well, happy and healthy, they’ll be more productive, fulfilled and creative.”
— Read more about the Thomas Dixon Centre at thomasdixoncentre.com.au
FEATURE
Words Cassandra Houghton
Photo by Angharad Gladding
AT HOME AND ON TOUR Queensland Ballet
Audiences in Goondoowindi, Toowoomba, Maryborough, Bundaberg, Caloundra, Cairns and Leanne Benjamin’s hometown of Rockhampton were treated to a ‘treasure trove of excerpts’, including Three Preludes by Ben Stevenson OBE, Tchaikovsky Mash by Matthew Lawrence, Le Corsaire Pas de Deux by Marius Petipas, and A Rhapsody in Motion by Greg Horsman.
Throughout February and March, Queensland Ballet headed out of the city to eight stunning towns around regional Queensland, continuing our tradition of touring since the 1960s.
We were also delighted to perform an ‘at home’ version for Brisbane audiences at the Talbot Theatre, Thomas Dixon Centre.
Photos
Left to Right: Principal Artist Neneka Yoshida and Company Artist Edison Manuel; Queensland Ballet Artists; Principal Artist Neneka Yoshida; (front, centre, Principal
Artist Neneka Yoshida and Soloist Vito Bernasconi; Queensland Ballet Artists backstage.
Photos by David Kelly
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