The Australian Ballet’s 2014 season was launched in Melbourne earlier this week, with dancers performing a scene from The Nutcracker, giving audiences a taste of what’s to come.
The season will feature four spectacular full-length ballets, a classical double bill and a boundary-breaking contemporary triple bill with Cinderella coming to Adelaide in July. Artistic Director David McAllister said audiences were demanding more ballet than ever. “Audiences are telling us that they want more ballet and more choice of productions, so that’s what we’re giving them in 2014! We’ve added even more repertoire into our Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne seasons to sate the public’s appetite for ballet,” he explains in a press release. “It’s also an opportunity to showcase the versatility and artistry of our dancers, who can’t wait to sink their teeth into this season – with roles like Manon, Clara and Solor in the mix! And personally I’m delighted with the diversity and artistic depth of the 2014 program.” The year will begin with Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon, a story of a naïve girl who goes from rags to riches and back again, visiting Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. The three cities will also be treated to the classical double bill, Imperial Suite, a cosmopolitan ballet tour combining George Balanchine’s Ballet Imperial with Serge Lifar’s Suite en blanc. Chroma presents the premiere of Wayne McGregor’s 2006 showstopper by the same name – mixing ballet with The White Stripes – as well as Jirí Kylián’s ‘Mozart Double’ and a brand new work by resident choreographer Stephen Baynes. Bodytorque will visit Melbourne for the first time with the theme ‘DNA’, and Alexei Ratmansky’s full-length Cinderella will dazzle Adelaide audiences. Resident choreographer Stanton Welch will present his new ballet, La Bayadère, and the return of Peter Wright’s glorious The Nutcracker will be sure to delight ballet fans of all ages. The Australian Ballet will also celebrate their 30-year partnership with Telstra at a free outdoor concert, Telstra Ballet in the Bowl, taking place in Melbourne. Cinderella will be performed at the Festival Theatre from Friday, July 4 to Thursday, July 10 australianballet.com.au
