Queensland Ballet
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Queensland Front cover: Rachael Walsh as Fonteyn & Christian Tátchev as Nureyev dance The Lady of the Camellias pas de deux in François Klaus’s Fonteyn Remembered; Photographer: Ken Sparrow Below: Sarah Thompson and children taking class at the Open Day BAllet ANNuAl REPORT 2010 Queensland Ballet Thomas Dixon Centre Cnr Drake St & Montague Rd West End Queensland 4101 Australia Phone: 07 3013 6666 Fax: 07 3013 6600 Email: [email protected] Web: www.queenslandballet.com.au Christian Tátchev and Keian langdon in François Klaus’s Don Quixote (excerpt), 50th Anniversary International Gala; Photographer: Ken Sparrow Christian Tátchev as Romeo & Rachael Walsh as Juliet in François Klaus’s Romeo & Juliet; Photographer: Ken Sparrow Queensland Ballet 2010 AnnuAl RepoRt CONTENTS Company profile 1 2010 highlights 2 50 year chronology 3 Chair’s review 7 Artistic Director’s report 8 Chief Executive Officer’s report 10 2010 performance summary 11 The Company 15 Acknowledgements 17 Directors’ report 19 Lead Auditor’s Independence Declaration 25 Financial report 26 Independent auditor’s report 41 Appendix A: 2010 strategic performance 42 Appendix B: Queensland Ballet Friends 44 QUEENSlAnD BALLET 1 COMPANY PROFILE Queensland Ballet is the advanced dance training to students in ouR DReAm Years 10, 11, and 12 at Kelvin Grove State flagship ballet company of the College as well as the introductory Track By 2013, Queensland Ballet will be State of Queensland, with a Dance and Mid-Trackdance programs for recognised, not only in Queensland but reputation for a fresh, energetic Years 3 to 9. throughout Australia and also overseas, for: and eclectic repertoire ranging Community education and outreach is » creating and presenting a broad from short works for children to achieved through a range of programs. repertoire of quality work which ranges These are the popular Vis-à-vis Studio from the great classics, through new, full-length story ballets. Series; Soirées Classiques, studio contemporary dance, new ‘story’ ballets, performances of dance with live music; an and works for children Open Doors program which enables the » exciting and challenging both dancers Established in 1960 by Charles Lisner OBE, public to view the Company at work; and and audiences the Company is one of only three full-time DANCE+, a program of dance education » developing choreographers professional ballet companies in Australia activities offered to schools and dance » training dancers to a consistently high and has been under the artistic direction of studio teachers and students across standard in classical ballet technique, François Klaus since January 1998. Queensland. and developing that technique through excellent coaching and creative artistic The Company makes a vital contribution In addition to annual tours of full-scale development to the performing arts in Queensland and productions to regional Queensland, since » having a strong and coherent artistic Australia through the presentation of a 2006, the Company has been committed to team led by a strong Artistic Director and high quality annual season in Brisbane, developing an international touring program. Chief Choreographer performed in a variety of venues, and The Company’s international experience » best practice in company management. through tours throughout regional now incorporates a guest performance in Queensland, as well as through participation Korea, tours to Singapore and Japan, and in festivals. three European tours. In 2011 the Company will embark on its first tour to China. StRAtegic initiAtiveS Queensland Ballet’s core objectives include the provision of opportunities for Australian In order to fulfil its mission and goals, and choreographers and other creative artists. advance towards achieving its dreams, ouR miSSion Queensland Ballet’s three-year Business The Company also promotes and develops Plan features four strategic initiatives: To develop, promote and perform dance, dance education, principally through particularly classical ballet, of the highest the Queensland Ballet Professional Year » to develop the art form, and the standard international standard, both technically and and Junior Extension Program, and of our productions artistically, in state, national and international through partnership with the Queensland » to develop our audience, in scope, depth arenas. Dance School of Excellence (QDSE). The and understanding Professional Year is a bridging program » to build our reputation and understanding which provides intensive pre-professional of what we do training in a company environment for gifted ouR goAlS » to remain financially robust and maintain operational excellence. young dancers interested in pursuing a Queensland Ballet will: professional career in classical dance. The The Company’s performance in relation to » be an efficient, profitable and well Junior Extension Program gives a small its strategic initiatives is detailed in Appendix governed business group of talented young dancers, aged A on page 42. 11 to 14 years, the opportunity to further » seek to increase our audience develop their skills by undertaking a weekly » offer the highest standards of class with a group of their peers under the performance guidance of the Company’s Artistic Staff. » develop choreographers The QDSE program is run under an MOU » offer the highest standard of dance with Education Queensland and provides training » seek to develop an interstate and international profile. ANNUAl REPORt 2010 2 2010 hIghlIghts »» 50th»anniversary» »» A total»audience»of»45,356 »» Three»dancers»completing» celebrations»including a was achieved, comprising the»Professional»Year»in» gala black tie dinner and 38,689 for productions in 2010 were offered Trainee a reception hosted by the Brisbane and 6,667 for contracts with the Company. Queensland Premier. regional performances in Queensland. »» Over»500»teachers»and» »» Keeping»the»dream» students from schools and alive,»an exhibition of »» A»surplus»was»delivered dance schools throughout costumes and archives from for the thirteenth year in Queensland participated in Queensland Ballet’s 50 year succession. professional development history presented at the Tony and workshop activities Gould Gallery at QPAC. »» Private»giving»reached» in the Company’s new record»levels, supported by DANCE+ education program. »» 74»performances»were a dollar-for-dollar donation presented of 11 different matching subsidy by the »» Queensland»Ballet» productions in 9 different State Government. facebook»friends venues, including 6 regional numbered 2,473 at the Queensland venues. »» Queensland»Ballet» end of 2010. received»a»significant» »» 38»different»works were cash»bequest from Dr performed, including 14 Alf Howard, allowing the new works by Australian Company to undertake much choreographers. needed renovations to the Thomas Dixon Centre. QUEENSlAnD BALLET 3 50 YeaR ChronOlOgY 1943 1953 1962 Lisner begins taking ballet lessons from Having identified Queensland as a place Lisner realises that a privately-owned Madame Borovansky. where he could pioneer professional ballet company has little hope of attracting performances, Lisner began by opening the government support. The Lisner Ballet 1945 Lisner Ballet Academy in December 1953, becomes a company limited by guarantee teaching ballet at a studio in Fortitude Valley. and is re-named The Queensland Edouard Borovansky recruits Lisner to his Ballet Company. Queensland now had company. 1955 a professional ballet company, which performed for the first time on 29 With backing from J.C. Williamson, the The Lisner Academy is damaged by smoke September, 1962. Principal Dancers on Borovansky Ballet tours Australia, including from a fire in the café on the ground floor of that night were Harold Collins, Mary Heath, visiting Brisbane, where ballet fans queued the building. His students rally to the cause Lynette Sorrensen, and Wendy Tabke. for hours outside the theatre. and enthusiastically help with the clean-up. The company’s early years were exciting 1947 and exhausting. Still principally funded by 1959 the Lisner Ballet Academy, the company Lisner decides to try his luck overseas, and didn’t have enough funds to cover full- Lisner moves his Academy to the sails to England. time wages. However, such was the Caledonian Building in Elizabeth Street, dancers’ commitment to the success of the Despite the post-war austerity and Brisbane. Funding the enterprise himself, company, many took day-jobs in order to privations, Lisner thrived on the artistic he converts the space into a 220-seat keep performing. opportunities he encountered in London. theatre, undertaking a good deal of the He took classes at Vera Volkova’s studio, manual labour himself. Two months after the The Queensland Ballet appeared in a alongside Robert Helpmann and Erik Bruhn. theatre’s official opening, Lisner announces number of hugely popular televised ballets He visited art galleries and museums, and the establishment of The Lisner Ballet. on the ABC and on Channel 9 during the studied music and composition at the Royal 1960s. College of Music. He appeared in The Red 1960 Shoes, working with Leonide Massine. A 1964 five-month scholarship offered to him by The Lisner Ballet gives its inaugural Ninette de Valois enabled him to attend the performance on 29 April, 1960. The The Academy Theatre is destroyed by fire. Sadler’s Wells Ballet School. program included Lisner’s work, The Gift, for Unable to fund having it rebuilt as a theatre, which he also composed