THE POWER OF IMAGINATION

In 2018, we celebrate all that is unique about The Australian Ballet.

The genius of our choreographers, the athleticism of our dancers, the rare skills of our artisans, and the boldness and open spirit that enables us to transcend boundaries and reach new heights.

Let us transport you into our imaginative world, where the impossible is just our everyday.

2018 SEASON

Partner Principal

, , Filigree Cinderella Little Atlas . I was so proud to , we match, we the cool lyricism Verve , our tribute him, to will lead us on Spartacus has captured our hearts, The Merry Widow , part our of Melbourne spring season, Murphy . with the with brooding intensity Harbour’s of

THE POWERTHE IMAGINATION OF . After her 2016 mainstage debut, the evocative Constant Variants Constant WELCOME TO 2018 TO WELCOME displayingthe boldness and physicality ourof dancers. In 2018 will we see a fresh flame ignited as Lucas Jervies premieres his brand-new production of this immortal story battling of a slave for his freedom. Revolution and romance revelry, and revenge: the 2018 season celebrates the genius of our choreographers, the artistry of our dancers and the rare skill of our musicians and artisans. look We forward welcoming to you into our world in 2018. McAllister AM David Director Artistic and Shadow and company dancer will create a new Alice work for Topp this program. Since powering onto our stages in 1978, yearsago, has built thrillinga choreographic legacy that fuels the imagination of both audiences and dancers. Resident Choreographers Stephen Baynes and Tim Harbour keep our dancers challenged with their innovative works. In Baynes’of has toured theglobe and is recognised as one of the greatest stagings of this Romantic classic. Alexei Ratmansky’s vibrant and original returning after its triumphant London debut in 2016, will be a Christmas treat for Sydney. Australian choreographers are the lifeblood our of company’s creativity. This year celebrate we the inspiration given soar they us have to higher and dig deeper. Graeme who Murphy, joined The Australian Ballet as a dancer 50 For 55 years The Australian Ballet hasbeen powered the by imagination of our artistsand creators. In 2018 presentwe anprogram exciting drawn exclusively from works that were made for our alongside company, two world premieres. I remember the firsttime I danced in be part of a ballet that holds such a special place in our history. This year, a new generation of dancers that will same have thrill as they interpret the andjoy romance of this glorious ballet. Maina Gielgud’s production of Giselle an journey exciting through highlights of his career, culminating in a revival of his award-winning Firebird THE AUSTRALIAN BALLET AUSTRALIAN THE THE AUSTRALIAN BALLET 2018 SEASON 2018

OUR DANCERS

Our dancers convey complex storytelling and emotional depth through the power of movement.

They prepare for their careers from childhood and work six days a week to polish technique, develop their artistry and hone their bodies to peak fitness.

They are equally at home with the rigours of classical technique and the fresh challenges of contemporary dance, and bring to their art form a bold, athletic beauty.

6

2018 SEASON 11 CREDITS FIREBIRD Murphy Graeme and choreography Concept Janet Vernon associate Creative Suite Firebird The Music Igor Stravinsky Krasenstein and set design Leon Costume Original lighting design Damien Cooper Dame Peggy The by supported Generously Fund Praagh van in a scorching Melbourne summer,made - SYDNEY MORNING HERALD MORNING SYDNEY - MURPHY . The Nutcracker The is going, it does something fresh." into a modern into triangle love and charted a dancer’s journey in the familiar: just when you have a sense of where a phrase “Murphy's choreography is an engaging mix of new and A TRIBUTE TO AUSTRALIA’S DANCEMAKER ICONIC , paired with highlights from his stellar career, featuring inventive

Firebird dance, eye-opening design and transporting music. Join celebrate us to one of Australia’s greats. MELBOURNE 16 – 26 MARCH Melbourne Arts Centre Theatre State Victoria with Orchestra SYDNEY 6 – 23 APRIL Joan Sutherland Theatre House Opera Sydney Orchestra Australia with Opera What makes Graeme Murphy Australia’s premier choreographer? A bold imagination, irreverent humour, profound musicality and a matchless sense of the body in space. In2018, Murphy celebrates 50 years Thewith Australian Ballet. He began hisdance career in the company’s corps de ballet, made his first work for our Choreographic Workshop, and went an on to incandescent career as the head Dance Sydney of Company. Along he produced the way, landmark productions for The Australian Ballet: he set his version of Swan Lake moving Beyond Twelve tribute pay this to remarkableWe artist a revival with his of vividly reimagined Partner Production Production

THE AUSTRALIAN BALLET AUSTRALIAN THE Partner Lead and Production and Lead THE AUSTRALIAN BALLET

2018 SEASON 2018 THE MERRY WIDOW

EFFERVESCENT ROMANCE OVERFLOWING WITH GLAMOUR

Irresistibly frothy and lavishly theatrical, The Merry Widow has enough tangled affairs, narrow misses and jealous lovers to fuel a French farce. The tiny principality of Pontevedro is on the verge of bankruptcy, and the dashing Count Danilo must rescue his country by marrying the newly widowed and fabulously wealthy Hanna Glawari. Only when they meet does he realise that she’s his childhood sweetheart – and that she hasn’t forgiven him for jilting her years ago. Based on the beloved operetta, this lively tale is set in the ballrooms and salons of Belle Époque Paris and is dressed magnificently in velvets, silks, spangles and feathers. Created especially for The Australian Ballet, The Merry Widow is a laugh- along favourite with hum-along melodies and its heart on its sleeve.

“This sumptuous soufflé of a ballet is possibly one of the best The Australian Ballet has produced.” - THE AUSTRALIAN

SYDNEY CREDITS 28 APRIL – 19 MAY Scenario Robert Helpmann Joan Sutherland Theatre Choreography Ronald Hynd Sydney Opera House Music Franz Lehár Based on the operetta by Victor Léon with Opera Australia Orchestra and Leo Stein Arranged and orchestrated by John Lanchbery Costume and set design Desmond Heeley CANBERRA Original lighting design Francis Croese 25 – 30 MAY Presented by arrangement with Canberra Theatre Glocken Verlag Ltd Canberra Theatre Centre Generously supported by The Margaret Ellen with Orchestra Victoria Pidgeon Fund

MELBOURNE 7 – 16 JUNE Arts Centre Melbourne State Theatre with Orchestra Victoria

Production Partner

12

2018 SEASON 15

Alice Topp Alice new-works

in 2016. Jon Buswell Jon Buswell Benjamin Cisterne Tim Harbour Tim Bodytorque Stephen Baynes Tim Harbour Tim Kelvin Ho Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Tchaikovsky Ilyich Piotr 48nord (Ulrich Müller and Siegfried Rössert) CREDITS CREDITS VARIANTS CONSTANT Choreography Music Variations on a Rococo Theme Set and costume design Michael Pearce Original lighting design WORK NEW design costume and Choreography design lighting and Staging SHADOW AND FILIGREE Choreography Music concept Costume design Set Original lighting design Generously supported The by Robert Fund Southey cruises the cutting edge contemporary of is neo-classical ballet at its most hypnotic. VERVE HIGH-OCTANE BALLET HIGH-OCTANE - ARTSHUB ON FILIGREE AND SHADOW Constant Variants Constant that grabs you in a choke hold and refuses to let go.” showcases the depth and invention The of Australian Ballet’s

“ ... there is great beauty in this savagery; a magnetic, visceral drama MELBOURNE 21 – 30 June Melbourne Arts Centre Theatre State Victoria with Orchestra Verve choreographic talent with works three by very different dancemakers: Resident Choreographers Tim Harbour and Stephen Baynes, and Coryphée who createdAlice a series Topp, of pieces for our Harbour’sTim Filigree and Shadow ballet. Powerful inspired moves dark by aggression, sleek a architect-designed set, washes of ominous light and a grinding score German by duo 48nord propel this an work to electrifying climax. Stephen Baynes’ program before making her mainstage debut Little with Atlas heavenly calm. heavenly brand-newAlice Topp’s work, created especially for this program, will continue her explorations intricate into partnering and intense emotion, as showcased in her music-video choreography for Megan Washington and Ben Folds. Three diverse creative minds unite for one explosive performance. Featuringpristine technique andscore Tchaikovsky a with solo cello, its jewel-like moments and pitch-perfect atmosphere beguile the mind into Partner Commissioning Commissioning

Production Production Partner THE AUSTRALIAN BALLET AUSTRALIAN THE THE AUSTRALIAN BALLET

2018 SEASON 2018 THE SLEEPING BEAUTY

EXCLUSIVE ADELAIDE SEASON

In 1890, the artist Léon Bakst saw the original production of The Sleeping Beauty. “I lived in a magic dream for three hours, intoxicated by fairies and princesses, by splendid palaces flowing with gold, by the enchantment of the old tale,” he wrote. More than a century later, The Sleeping Beauty is a stunning showcase for The Australian Ballet’s dancers, an unforgettable childhood experience and a delight for lovers of dance, music and design. For the first time, Artistic Director David McAllister brings his smash-hit production to Adelaide. With Tchaikovsky’s celebrated score, thrilling classical technique and a sumptuous design by the award-winning Gabriela Tylesova, this ballet casts a spell all the way to its glittering finale. Let this reawakened classic transport you into “a magic dream”.

"The production offers a gold-class experience and the magical escape that will forever draw so many audiences to the fairytale world of ballet.” - HERALD SUN

ADELAIDE CREDITS 6 – 12 JULY Choreography Marius Petipa Festival Theatre Production and additional choreography Adelaide Festival Centre David McAllister Music Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky with Adelaide Symphony Costume and set design Gabriela Tylesova Orchestra Design associate Kat Chan Dramaturge Lucas Jervies Original lighting design Jon Buswell

We celebrate the many philanthropists who made this production possible, with special thanks to The Royals:

Geraldine Anne Lawton Bequest, PRINCESS AURORA Mr Kenneth R Reed AM, PRINCE DÉSIRÉ Friends of The Australian Ballet (NSW) Ltd, THE LILAC FAIRY Malcolm, Tonya & Carolyn McCusker, CARABOSSE Anonymous, THE KING The Australian Ballet Society, THE QUEEN The Ian Dicker Family, PRINCESS FLORINE Francesca Roslyn Packer Barham, Indigo Alice Packer, Emmanuelle Sheelah Packer THE BLUEBIRD

16

2018 SEASON 19

is a Giselle

CREDITS CREDITS Jean Corelli after Marius Petipa Choreography Maina Gielgud Production Adam Music Adolphe Farmer design Peter Set and costume Akers Original lighting design William Maina The by supported Generously Gielgud Fund resonate so deeply in our hearts. This - HERALD SUN Giselle an emotional truth.” emotional an GISELLE “ ... uniquely Australian zeal … it has heart, story and A TIMELESS LOVE STORY WITH A SUPERNATURALEDGE MELBOURNE SEPTEMBER – 8 30 AUGUST Melbourne Arts Centre Theatre State Victoria with Orchestra Firstbetrayal, love, heartache and forgiveness… we’ve allbeen through them, and that’s what makes iconic Romantic ballet has stood the test of time, not just because of the otherworldly beauty of its “white” act, with its ethereal ghosts floating through the forest, but because the of universal passion and drama of its storyline. A young girl falls for an aristocrat in disguise. When she realises his deception, the shock sends her mad and she dies. Raised from her the by vengeful grave Queentheof Wilis, she must summon all her tenderness and strength to hersave from lover destruction. Maina Gielgud’s celebrated production, with Peter Farmer’satmospheric designs, brings out the emotional nuances of this poignant story and the purity its of Romantic technique. As the choreographer George Balanchine said, “Like Hamlet, classic: it is not only important historically, it also happens be to good.” THE AUSTRALIAN BALLET AUSTRALIAN THE

THE AUSTRALIAN BALLET

2018 SEASON 2018 CINDERELLA

EVERYONE’S FAVOURITE FAIRYTALE – WITH A TWIST

Made especially for The Australian Ballet by Alexei Ratmansky, the world’s most in-demand choreographer, this Cinderella has all the elements of the story we know and love – a feisty heroine, a dashing prince, a kindly godmother and a deliciously wicked stepmother – with some fantastical additions. Ratmansky is Artist in Residence at American Ballet Theatre, a recipient of the MacArthur “Genius” grant, and the acknowledged master of the modern story ballet. His Cinderella, designed by the acclaimed Jérôme Kaplan, takes its vision from Prokofiev’s dark and surprising 1940s score and whirls with stars and planets, Surrealist-inspired projections and a Dior-worthy golden ball gown. After playing to packed houses and adoring audiences in London, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane, this witty and romantic Cinderella returns to the Sydney Opera House stage for an exclusive encore performance that will delight every generation. See why Cinderella is the perfect fit.

"Effervescent and fun as festive champagne.” - DAILY TELEGRAPH

SYDNEY CREDITS 30 NOVEMBER – 19 DECEMBER Choreography Alexei Ratmansky Joan Sutherland Theatre Music Sergei Prokofiev Sydney Opera House Costume and set design Jérôme Kaplan Lighting design Rachel Burke with Opera Australia Orchestra Projection design Wendall K. Harrington

Generously supported by The Melba Alma Cromack Bequest

Lead & Production Commissioning Partner Partner

20

2018 SEASON 23 CREDITS CREDITS Lucas Jervies Choreography Khachaturian Music Aram Kaplan and set design Jérôme Costume Lighting design Ben Cisterne Savage Imara Dramaturge Nigel Poulton Fight Director making who are philanthropists the many celebrate We to: with special thanks possible, this production AM, SPARTACUS R Reed Mr Kenneth FLAVIA McCusker, & Carolyn Tonya Malcolm, CRASSUS Ltd, Ballet (NSW) Australian Friends of The TERTULLA AC, Packer Mrs Roslyn BATIATUS Ballet Society, Australian The Choreographers Fund for Scott Margaret Dame The supporting Lucas Jervies - LUCAS JERVIES LUCAS - ; and our male dancers in their most powerful THE JOURNEY OF A HERO OF JOURNEY THE Cinderella SPARTACUS a human being. Embedded within that is story.” a love “The production is about a dehumanised slave becoming Spartacus tells thestory a gladiator of who leda slaves’ rebellion against MELBOURNE 18 – 29 SEPTEMBER Melbourne Arts Centre Theatre State Victoria with Orchestra SYDNEY NOVEMBER 9 – 24 Joan Sutherland Theatre House Opera Sydney Orchestra Australia with Opera moment as the who slaves rise against the tyranny of their rulers. Think ballet is all pointe shoes and tutus? Think again. In 2018, one of The Australian Ballet’s most popular works springs new to life. the Roman empire. Charting the journey of a man finding passionate love, his mission and freedom, the ballet showcases the company’s men at their spirited and athletic best. LucasJervies ischoreographer,a NIDA-traineda director and formera dancer of The Australian Ballet: Spartacus is his passion project. His brand- new production will featurethe soaring music of Aram Khachaturian; sets and costumes Jérôme by Kaplan, who created designs the inventive for Alexei Ratmansky’s THE AUSTRALIAN BALLET AUSTRALIAN THE

THE AUSTRALIAN BALLET 2018 SEASON CREATE SPARTACUS WITH US

YOUR AMAZING GENEROSITY UNDERPINS OUR SUCCESS

New productions are vital to our company, and being a part of creating a new ballet is a special and rewarding journey. In 2014, many of you came together and supported David McAllister’s vision for the extraordinary new production of The Sleeping Beauty by making a gift. Together, you made your mark on stage by creating an iconic Australian masterwork that our dancers are now proudly presenting to the world. This year, we invite you to join us as we create Spartacus. This new production will showcase the athleticism and dynamic Australian style of our dancers, giving them another opportunity to delight audiences at home and across the world. Your generous gifts will go directly to the stage, bringing to life the many costumes, sets and props that will be made in-house by our team of skilled artisans.

"I can't wait to begin this very special creative journey, and I look forward to sharing it with you as it unfolds." LUCAS JERVIES, CHOREOGRAPHER

BECOME A SPARTACUS BALLET CHAMPION BY MAKING A GIFT WITH YOUR SEASON PACKAGE

A Spartacus Ballet Champion plays a significant Your support through a gift of $100 or more role in bringing this new production to the will be recognised on our website and in our stage. Gain a rare and exclusive perspective annual report. In addition, gifts of $1,000 or into the creative process on the road to the more are recognised in our souvenir programs. world premiere. Thank you for your loyalty and dedication. — Gifts of Valour $20,000+ — Gifts of Honour $10,000 – $19,999 Kenneth Watkins Philanthropy Director — Gifts of Unity $5,000 – $9,999 03 9669 2785 — Gifts of Strength $1,000 – $4,999 [email protected]

— Gifts of Loyalty $500 – $999 The Australian Ballet likes to celebrate the magnanimity of our many donors, to inspire and encourage others to — Gifts of Integrity $100 – $499 give. However, we do respect your privacy, so please advise us if you wish your gift to remain anonymous.

Donations of $2 or more are tax-deductible. ABN 57 004 849 987

25

THE AUSTRALIAN BALLET

2018 SEASON 2018 THE MUSIC OF 2018

MUSIC DIRECTOR AND CHIEF CONDUCTOR NICOLETTE FRAILLON TAKES US THROUGH THE SEASON’S SCORES

MURPHY THE SLEEPING BEAUTY Graeme Murphy has always been courageous in his musical The pinnacle of ballet music in the 19th century, The Sleeping choices and both intelligent and intuitive in his responses to Beauty not only tells the story virtually on its own, but is a scores. Whether set to the most challenging of contemporary musical exploration of complicated abstract concepts like Australian compositions or traditional scores like Swan Lake, good and evil, emotional maturity and adult responsibility. his choreography illuminates the music in refreshing and Tchaikovsky uses every compositional technique: inventive exciting ways. Our tribute program will span the balletic orchestrations, hit melody after hit melody, a harmonic musical gamut, from late 19th-century classics through architecture which is the dramatic architecture. The work is Stravinsky to some of Australia’s greatest living composers. breathtaking, and inspired generations of composers to view ballet as far more than superficial narrative entertainment. THE MERRY WIDOW The Merry Widow was originally a popular operetta written GISELLE in 1905 by the Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. Created by the French composer Adolphe Adam in 1841, In 1975, John Lanchbery (then the Music Director of The Giselle is one of the earliest examples of a narrative ballet Australian Ballet) and a conductor colleague set about with purpose-written music (as opposed to music pieced turning this vocal score into a purely orchestral one. Rather together from other existing works). To a very limited extent than simply taking the original and placing the vocal lines on it does use musical themes to represent characters and various instruments, Lanchbery took all that was beautiful, dramatic development, but primarily the music ‘underscores’ humorous and charming in the original and reworked the the action, creating happy dance scenes and poignant, score to create something new. It is one of the best musical reflective ones, with the occasional moment of brass-and- ‘arrangements’ Lanchbery ever created and demonstrates timpani doomsday darkness. Adam’s score is as simple and his incredible dramatic and musical flair. innocent as the main protagonist.

VERVE SPARTACUS For his Constant Variants, Resident Choreographer Stephen The centrepiece of our 2018 season is a new production Baynes chose Tchaikovsky’s charming Variations on a of Spartacus. The music was composed in 1954 by Aram Rococo Theme, Tchaikovsky’s first composition for cello Khachaturian. He was the first Armenian composer to write and orchestra; it’s a pure gem, and a brilliant example of for silent films, and many of his works have a cinematic feel. Tchaikovsky’s gift for melody and lyricism. Spartacus has a genuinely epic, heroic quality worthy of Hollywood. There is no existing music from the era of the Alice Topp’s works are always inventive and engaging. historical Spartacus, and Khachaturian didn’t even try to write She has a talent for creating work which is simultaneously music in the style of a particular epoch. Instead, he used emotionally complex and appealingly simple. Her musical his imagination to create a sound world appropriate to the choices always inspire and reflect this and are a joy to tale. The richness and exoticism of the score is reminiscent perform. of colours used by composers like Ravel and Debussy, but Tim Harbour’s Filigree and Shadow has a specially there is a distinctively Armenian flair. commissioned score by 48nord. It’s a powerful electronic piece using sophisticated 21st-century software. Confronting CINDERELLA and unsettling, it’s the ideal soundtrack to Tim’s exploration Sergei Prokofiev’sCinderella is one of the 20th century’s of human aggression. greatest works of art. Prokofiev, whose natural compositional style always contained elements of dark irony and satire, found a perfect vehicle for these qualities in Cinderella. It has a harmonic architecture worthy of Tchaikovsky that shapes the entire dramatic action, and musical themes, representing characters, which grow and transform as the characters do, as their thoughts and emotions develop throughout the piece.

36

THANK YOU

PRINCIPAL PARTNER

LEAD PARTNERS LEARNING PARTNER

Official property partner Official airline partner

MAJOR PARTNERS

Official pointe shoe Official legal Official piano Official vitamin Official cruise Official jewellery partner partner partner partner partner partner

MEDIA PARTNERS

SUPPORTING PARTNERS

GOVERNMENT PARTNERS INDUSTRY PARTNER

The Australian Ballet is The Australian The Australian Ballet assisted by the Australian Ballet is supported is supported by the Government through the by the Victorian NSW Government Australia Council, its arts Government through through Create NSW funding and advisory body Creative Victoria

THE AUSTRALIAN BALLET Spartacus rehearsal photography Page 14 Marcus Morelli, Brett Page 41 Dimity Azoury and Artistic Director by Kate Longley Chynoweth and Shaun Andrews Christopher Rodgers-Wilson David McAllister AM Black and white photography page Page 17 Kevin Jackson and Benedicte Bemet Executive Director 30-32, image pages 33-34, image CONTACT US top left page 35, by Mitchell O’Neil Libby Christie Page 18 Dimity Azoury The Australian Ballet Box Office Page 21 Amber Scott Level 4, The Primrose Potter Music Director & Chief Conductor BROCHURE CREDITS Nicolette Fraillon AM Page 22 Kevin Jackson Australian Ballet Centre Front cover Dimity Azoury Page 24 Robyn Hendricks, 2 Kavanagh Street CAMPAIGN CREDITS Page 3 Kevin Jackson Jarryd Madden and Lucas Jervies Southbank Victoria 3006 Campaign creative by Page 4 Robyn Hendricks Page 28 – 29 Dimity Azoury Open 10am – 3pm The Australian Ballet Page 7 Dimity Azoury, and Christopher Rodgers-Wilson Monday to Friday Season photography by Christopher Rodgers-Wilson, Page 30 Isobelle Dashwood Customer Experience Team Valerie Tereshchenko, Kevin Jackson, PO Box 838 Georges Antoni, The Artist Group Page 32 Jarryd Madden, Robyn Callum Linnane, Isobelle Dashwood, South Melbourne Repertoire photography by Hendricks, Christopher Rodgers- Jarryd Madden, Robyn Hendricks Victoria 3205 Justin Ridler, Hart & Co Wilson and Kevin Jackson and Imogen Chapman Dancers styled by Page 33 – 34 Imogen Chapman 1300 369 741 Page 8 Dimity Azoury Michelle Jank, The Artist Group and Isobelle Dashwood [email protected] Page 9 Christopher Rodgers-Wilson, Season make-up artist and Page 35, Isobelle Dashwood, Kevin Callum Linnane and Jarryd Madden ABN 57 004 849 987 hair stylist Linda Jefferyes and Jackson and Dimity Azoury Page 10 Imogen Chapman, Jarryd Daren Borthwick, The Artist Group Page 37 Robyn Hendricks Madden, Nathan Brook, Corey Repertoire make-up artist and Find out more at Herbert, Brodie James and Page 38 Valerie Tereshchenko hair stylist Victoria Martin, Hart & Co australianballet.com.au Lisa Craig Page 39 Christopher Rodgers- Cinderella photography by Page 13 Adam Bull and Amy Harris Wilson Lynette Wills

WEBSITE BALLET TV BLOG INSTAGRAM TWITTER FACEBOOK YOUTUBE australianballet.com.au /tv /blog @ausballet @theausballet theaustralianballet theaustralianballet