Australian Ballet Presents New Romantics

New romantics is a lyrical triple bill with all the beauty of classical ballet given a contemporary edge. It features legendary choreographer George Balanchine's influential work, Apollo, the Australian premiere of international star choreographer Christopher Wheeldon's After the Rain©, and the world premiere of a new commission by Australia's own Stephen Baynes.

George Balanchine was a leader in the development of 'contemporary ballet'. His work Apollo, featured here, marked the emergence of neoclassicism in ballet. Both Wheeldon and Baynes follow in his footsteps, creating works that are spare but beautiful, displaying elegent economy of expression and a purity of technique - the hallmarks of neoclassicism.

The 'golden boy' of the dance world, Wheeldon is a prolific choreographer, having created more than 30 ballets in the past five years. More recently Wheeldon, 33, made international headlines after quitting his job as New York City Ballet's Resident Choreographer. Taking inspiration from Diaghilev's groundbreaking Ballets Russes from almost 100 years ago, Wheeldon announced his plan to set up a new transatlantic ballet company called Morphoses - the Wheeldon Company, using 20 of the world's finest dancers. Wheeldon will travel to Sydney mid April 2007 to stage After the Rain©.

Apollo by George Balanchine

Apollo was first performed by Diaghilev's Ballets Russes in 1928 and is the earliest of Balanchine's works to survive to the present day. It is seen as one of his most significant and influential works. Apollo also marked the beginning of the important artistic collaboration between Balanchine and Stravinsky.
The ballet, derived from Greek mythology, shows Apollo as a young god. He encounters three muses of poetry, mime and dance and is presented with a symbol of their art.

After the Rain© by Christopher Wheeldon

After the Rain©, premiered by the New York City Ballet in 2005, is a ballet of bold movements and heartfelt emotion, set to two atmospheric pieces by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt. The ballet is rich in invention and feeling, and although relatively short, shifts dramatically in colour and mood from the powerful opening movement to the sensuous and deeply romantic pas de deux. Hailed as a "masterpiece" by the The New York Times, the ballet was created as a swan song for veteran ballet dancer Jack Soto.

World premiere work by Stephen Baynes

Hot on the heels of Raymonda, Resident Choreographer Stephen Baynes will unveil his newest work as part of the New romantics triple bill. Baynes returns to a focus on dance for its own sake, as Balanchine would say, "dancing with no meaning apart from itself." In keeping with Apollo and After the Rain© audiences can expect a beautiful and thoughtful work set to Tchaikovsky's melodious Variations on a Rococco Theme.

Sydney

1 - 19 May (20 performances): Opera Theatre, Sydney Opera House: with Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra

Melbourne

22 June - 3 July (12 performances): State Theatre, the Arts Centre: with Orchestra Victoria -- www.australianballet.com.au