& MELBOURNE BALLET COMPANY, INTENTION AND DESIRE 2016 Donors 2016 We give our special thanks to Diamond membership $1000 - $2500 Leonie Anderson Lyne Sedgman Michael Barrington Kerrie Whitla Rob Wyllie Naida Atkins Jo Atkins Alan Atkins Richard Hoy Platinum membership $500 - $999 Antonia Leonardi Anonymous Anonymous Gold membership $200 - $499 Andrew Coles Anonymous Silver Membership $100 - $199 Colleen Bryce Anonymous Anonymous Page ii INTENTION DESIRE& Intention and Desire is a journey through Picasso’s masterpiece “Guernica”. While The Veil of Maya is focussed on the idea of reality described by Picasso in Guernica (realistic space and characters in a disturbing atmosphere of chaos) while the Empyrean attempts to unveil the concept of the ‘light globe’, hope rips the veil! In the final program titled Guernica the two concepts come together: in an attempt to unveil the complete meaning of the painting through the narrative of the 1937 bombing of Guernica, with added inspiration from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. INTENTION transforms your quantum information and energy into what you put your ATTENTION on by organizing it using infinite correlations until you are able to manifest your desires! 2016 will see the Melbourne Ballet Company’s ninth year of operations and in many ways the concept behind Intention and Desire reflects the Company’s creative process since its inception. Page 1 INTENTION DESIRE& About Intention and Desire THE VEIL OF MAYA ... illusion over reality This year’s Intention and Desire program, created by MBC’s Choreographer Simon Hoy, will feature no less than seven new works The first part of the Intention and Desire trilogy from some of Australia’s foremost choreographers. Timothy Harbour, explores the concept of illusion versus reality Lucas Jervies, Rani Luther, Timothy Podesta, MBC dancer Alexander focussing on the more disturbing aspects Baden Bryce, as well as the work of Hoy, come together to present what of Picasso’s work. The Veil is a confronting promises to be a stellar season. This Premier Melbourne Season can illusion which can obscure human perception be envisaged as a trilogy, embodying quite unique creative expression of reality – what exists and what does not. together with much choreographic diversity. Each individual program For many who believe that in love we find is positioned around the central theme, so that each successive program completeness – such a delusion is regrettable adds a new chapter to the overarching concept – ‘Intention and Desire’ – blinding us into falling in love. The opening which takes inspiration from Pablo Picasso’s master work – Guernica. ‘chapter’ of the trilogy ‘Intention and Desire’ While individual programs stand alone, they can also be seen as presents a reflection of this distorted world components of the complete Melbourne season. clouded by disturbing shadows. Page 2 INTENTION DESIRE& The Veil of Maya Variations of Ease By Timothy Podesta Performance Dates Music by Valgeir Sigurdsson 4 March: Hawthorn Arts Centre, Melbourne 7:30pm When approached to create this new work for MBC'S opening season 6 March: Hawthorn Arts Centre, Melbourne 2:00pm I had just heard how the company was being positioned in 2016 and 11 March: The Alex Theatre, Melbourne 7:30pm beyond and wanted to design a work that showed the breath of fresh air 12 March: The Alex Theatre, Melbourne 2:00pm that MBC is for Melbourne audiences. 12 March: The Alex Theatre, Melbourne 7:30pm I have had the pleasure of working with the MBC dancers before: they Choreographers: Lucas Jervies, Alexander Baden, all have wonderful classical techniques that are matched by a grounded, Timothy Podesta. earthy modern base and an openness to expand and participate in my innovative intentions as a choreographer. Music: Valgeir Sigurdsson, Helter Smelter, Max Richter, Adam Ster. The work is titled 'Variations of ease' and is designed about creating a big ballet feel and intensity but with a more tactile, palpable openness that the audience can feel and experience. I am excited to be working with MBC again! Notes from the Choreographers Artifice Four Ballet By Alexander Baden Bryce By Lucas Jervies Music by Max Richter, Ludovico Einaudi Music by Adam Ster The process for the creation of this new work - ‘ARTIFICE’ - for With each new ballet I have created since graduating Melbourne Ballet Company’s Season of ‘The Veil of Maya’ takes on from The Australian Ballet School in 1998, I’ve board several unique characteristics. As a project-based company with worked to expand my understanding of the art limited resources, a strong process of collaboration between dancer and form’s capacity. This exploration has led me to choreographer has been implemented. I believe this allows the dancers a holistic approach in the studio; a process that to have a strong voice in the movement language created for the work, encourages a keener awareness of both mind and allowing their bodies to reach their greatest end potential. A series of body, forcing the artist to be an active thinker tasks has been created to be completed by the dancers, creating new through performance. This synergy between the and original movement phrases ranging from simple directives to emotional and physical, the internal and external, more obscure parameters. The creative development period included helped us discover psychological objectives through strong use of contact and structured improvisation. Improvisational physical states of being. Exploring the subjective techniques are more often used in a contemporary dance work and and objective simultaneously allows for a very I have employed these techniques to fuse more accessibility into the productive methodology: collectively we created work for a modern day audience. Music is at the heart of every ballet four separate spatial situations that encouraged and using a combined score from artists such as Max Richter and conflicting relationships to occur between the body Ludovico Einaudi, soaring violins and beautiful melodies drive the and, or inanimate objects. These situations produce pace of the work. I have been very interested in finding new ways to beautiful, detailed sequences of movement, which push classical ballet back into the heart of the community and have are innately tied to a strong emotional objective. searched for as many ways as possible to push and extend typical ballet Four Ballet is made from and for my love of ballet. lines to their end limits. The audience will recognize ballet vocabulary Its fast-paced state of apparent emotional catharsis within the work, but they will also be able to see the flair and grace of through physical expression is a paradox; it relies a more hybrid contemporary ballet piece. Since becoming a member utterly on the fundamentals and discipline of the of the Melbourne Ballet Company in 2011 I have had the opportunity classical ballet technique, and yet is derived from the to perform many original Ballets by Simon Hoy, whilst also working ineffable nuance of emotion. under the direction of Daniel Jaber at Leigh Warren and Dancers. Both Hoy and Jaber have profoundly influenced my current choreographic style. Working with such classically inspired choreographers I have been able to develop an athletic yet joyous outlook on what contemporary ballet can become whilst still remaining true to the art of ballet. The work has the same dance literacy, technique and finesse that the Melbourne Ballet Company have become so well known for. Page 3 INTENTION DESIRE& EMPYREAN Illuminate ... an intellectual light full of love By Rani Luther Music by Philip Glass In the second ‘chapter’ of this trilogy we explore the concept of Empyrean: outer sky, closest to purity and Having worked with the Melbourne Ballet Company unconditional love. In stark contrast to the first part of since 2008 both as a principal dancer and also rehearsal the trilogy, our second program focuses on all the positive director, i am now thrilled to be creating a new work for the elements of Picasso’s masterpiece: it represents a world “Empyrean” season. This unique and important company reigned over by harmony and light, and surrounds us with a performs outstanding works all over Australia and abroad. feeling of bliss in contrast to the prior anguish of illusion. With choreographers and dancers of world class standard, combining fierce classical technique with bold innovative Empyrean contemporary style, this company showcase a beautiful repertoire of dance that reaches a broad range of audiences. Performance Dates The artistic leader and resident choreographer, Simon Hoy, 17 June: The Alex Theatre, Melbourne 7:30pm has nurtured and facilitated the growth of this incredible 18 June: The Alex Theatre, Melbourne 7:30pm company and it gives me great pleasure to be asked to Choreographers: Timothy Harbour, Rani Luther, Simon Hoy. choreograph for the Melbourne Ballet Company. Music: Vladimir Martynov, Ludovico Einaudi, Ólafur Arnalds, Max Richter. After an eighteen year career dancing in companies such as the Netherlands Dance Theatre, The Australian Ballet Notes from the Choreographers Company, Sydney Dance Company and The Melbourne Ballet Company, I draw from all my experiences in seeing, Zealots dancing and creating classical and contemporary dance Timothy Harbour in order to develop a language of my own. My style of Music by John Adams movement relies strongly on the aesthetic beauty of classical In this dance I have kept the dancers from touching but not ballet technique while trying to push the limits through apart. So, there is no partnering, no manipulation of each contemporary movement and line so that flow and freedom other’s bodies. There is the opportunity to see each dancers can exist. Inspiration comes from the wide range of styles contribution to the whole in a distinct way. and choreography I have performed and been exposed to throughout my life. The title comes from observing the dancers during our rehearsals.