The Australian Ballet Launches 2007 Season

Artistic Director David McAllister launches a diverse and exciting 2007 national programme. The 2007 season highlights the depth of talent in this company and pays tribute to the legends who set the course for modern day stars.

McAllister says, "When planning 2007, I spent a lot of time thinking about the people who have built the company over the last 45 years, and those who continue to take it in new directions today. I wanted to capture the sense of ballet being an art form with a long proud tradition, but an art form that is not trapped or intimidated by its own history".

Australian audiences will be treated to a mixed repertoire by major Australian and international choreographers, including new commissions, world premieres, ballet classics and international guest artist performances which inspire and explore the development and future of this dynamic art form.

THE AUSTRALIAN BALLET IN 2007:

"¢ DON QUIXOTE

"¢ NEW ROMANTICS

"¢ BODYTORQUE.GENERATIONS.

"¢ PAQUITA

"¢ DESTINY

"¢ THE NUTCRACKER

"¢ INTERNATIONAL TOUR: JAPAN

"¢ THE DANCERS COMPANY TOUR

The 2007 season begins in Brisbane with the company revisiting Rudolf Nureyev's renowned production of Don Quixote, a vivid and technically demanding ballet that holds a special place in the company's history. Nureyev is a ballet legend and his genius has left an indelible imprint on the world of dance and The Australian Ballet. The association began in 1964 when he performed as a guest artist. Performing both here and on overseas tours, his star power ultimately helped put the company on the international map. In 2007, we welcome American Ballet Theatre Principal Artist and star of the film Centre Stage, Ethan Stiefel, for the first time as a special guest artist in the role of Basilio in the Melbourne and Sydney seasons of Don Quixote.

In recent years, the company has been seeking to promote ballet, and to stimulate and develop audiences by breathing new life into the classics. In 2007, one of the most popular ballets of all time - The Nutcracker - will be presented in spectacular style in Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney, as depicted in Sir Peter Wright's critically acclaimed version for the Birmingham Royal Ballet. Featuring Tchaikovsky's enchanting score, this lavish, traditional production of The Nutcracker is the epitome of classical ballet and will complete a landmark series of performances by The Australian Ballet of ballet's "big three" - Graeme Murphy's Swan Lake, Stanton Welch's The Sleeping Beauty and Wright's The Nutcracker. Sir Peter will be travelling to Australia next year to stage his impressive production which has been wowing audiences since its debut in Birmingham in 1990.

New romantics is a triple bill with all the beauty and sensitivity of modern classical ballet featuring legendary choreographer George Balanchine's influential work, Apollo, the Australian premiere of New York City Ballet star choreographer Christopher Wheeldon's After the Rain©, and the world premiere of a new commission by Australia's own Stephen Baynes.

The Australian Ballet is committed to discovering new artists. Bodytorque.Generations, is the fourth chapter of this annual choreographic discovery programme. It offers audiences their first viewing of the long awaited Sydney premiere of Stephen Baynes' magnificent multiple award-winning ballet Unspoken Dialogues alongside three hot new works by emerging talent Tim Harbour, Tim Farrar and Narelle Benjamin. "I have been consistently surprised by the work created for Bodytorque by newly minted choreographers," says McAllister. For 2007, given the intergenerational feel of the mainstage programmes, I thought it would be interesting to put these new dance artists against Stephen Baynes, a mature artist who got his first break as a choreographer during a workshop at The Australian Ballet."

Melbourne audiences will be treated to the tutu spectacular Paquita and a range of show-stopping divertissements - some audience favourites and some not seen in Australia for many years - in a celebration of great moments in, and inspired by, Russian classical ballet. Paul Knobloch, a soloist with The Australian Ballet, will also create a new work for the men of the company.

Destiny is a tribute to Ballets Russes choreographer Leonide Massine and his daring use of symphonic music. This double bill will feature two of Massine's best known works, Les Présages, with Massine's original choreography, and the world premiere of Symphonie Fantastique, a new interpretation to Hector Berlioz's score from inventive Polish choreographer Krzysztof Pastor. Pastor is renowned for his work for the Dutch National Ballet and will travel to Australia to work with the company. Following Revolutions in 2006, Destiny is the second programme dedicated to our four year exploration into the legacy of Diaghilev's Ballets Russes and its various spin off companies, Ballets Russes in Australia: Our Cultural Revolution. The legacy of these companies is not just a treasure trove of repertoire - it placed ballet into the centre of artistic endeavour by being a lightning rod for visual arts, music and theatre.

The Australian Ballet continues to demonstrate why it is one of the busiest ballet companies in the world as the company embarks on its 30th international tour with a visit to Japan in July, following tours in 2006 to China and New Zealand and 2005 to the UK. The Australian Ballet will present two of its major commissions of recent years, Graeme Murphy's powerful Swan Lake and Stanton Welch's smash-hit The Sleeping Beauty. The tour will be a massive logistical undertaking with hundreds of set and costume items being shipped to Japan - over 500 for Swan Lake and a further 300-odd for The Sleeping Beauty. The touring party will consist of over 100 people.

The Dancers Company, The Australian Ballet's regional touring arm, will once again tour a programme of Ballets Russes inspired works to Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales. Featuring Les Sylphides, Graduation Ball and The Sleeping Beauty Act 3, this triple bill proved enormously popular in 2006, with sell out seasons across regional Australia. The tour also forms part of the Ballets Russes project.

Running alongside 2007's repertoire is the Education Programme. Managed by the legendary Colin Peasley, the national Education Programme is thriving, with attendances continuing to grow. The programme offers opportunities to participate in a variety of classes, workshops and informative talks. An estimated 13,000 people attended an Education event in 2006, demonstrating the mainstream appeal of ballet.

The longest serving artist in The Australian Ballet's history and an icon of Australian dance, Steven Heathcote celebrates his 25th year with the company in 2007. His extraordinary talent has made him a star at home and abroad attracting glowing reviews and admirers for his performances across the globe - from Moscow to New York and Cuba to Tokyo. Renowned for his partnering skills, he has danced with some of the world's best ballerinas, with Clement Crisp of the UK Financial Times recently calling him "a commanding dramatic artist and sublime partner". -- www.australianballet.com.au