Via the ROH streaming platform My attention was first drawn to Kyle Abraham, choreographer of The Weathering (a Royal Ballet commission from 2022), while working in New York from 2006 to 2008, although I didn’t ever manage to see any of his choreography then. Almost two decades later, The Weathering, made on eleven dancers (two female and nine male of
It was a real pleasure to see that Elizabeth Cameron Dalman had been awarded an AM (Member of the Order of Australia) in the King’s Birthday Honours announced early in June. Dalman’s dance career has been quite astonishing and has included the establishment of Australian Dance Theatre in 1965, a company that she directed for 10 years and that continues
27 June 2025. The Playhouse, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Brisbane Queensland Ballet’s Triple Bill left me with mixed feelings. The opening work was Jack Lister’s Gemini, which in program notes is described as ‘A subterranean gathering harnessing both the earthly and the divine. A new world where myth and matter amass.’ To me it was an effort to bring to
20 June 2025. Canberra Theatre My 2025 review of Carmen was published by Canberra CityNews online on 21 June 2025. Below is a slightly expanded version of the review. The CityNews review is at this link. ********************************** It was something of a surprise to see, on approaching the Canberra Theatre Centre for the opening night of an Australian Ballet performance
Via the ROH streaming platform After watching, and being blown away by the film Cranko, I was inspired to look further in an effort to expand my understanding of the background to John Cranko’s career with Stuttgart Ballet. I found on the Royal Opera House streaming platform a 2024 production of Requiem, a ballet created for Stuttgart Ballet in 1976
4 June 2025. Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House Bangarra’s latest production is nothing short of a visual feast with its lighting design from Damien Cooper standing out in an exceptional way. In particular, the starry opening scene, which extended from the stage up and out to the ceiling and walls of the Joan Sutherland Theatre, and the closing scenes
The May edition of Qantas Magazine carried a two page spread on visual artist Darrell Sibosado, who is the designer for the forthcoming Bangarra production, Illume. The article, written by Kate Hennessy, had the title ‘This First Nations visual artist is shining new light on ancient ceremonial carvings’. From reading the article, I discovered that Darrell Sibosado comes from the
21 May 2025. Screened at the German Film Festival, Palace Electric Cinemas, Canberra Cranko is quite a long film, over two hours. But it has such an engrossing narrative, as well as being a superbly realised production, that those two and a bit hours absolutely raced along. The film held one’s attention from beginning to end. Directed and written by
14 May 2025. Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House Having just reread Different Drummer, Jann Parry’s 2009 biography of Kenneth MacMillan, choreographer of the ballet Manon, I was curious to see the Australian Ballet’s production of that work. Would the background that Parry provides in her biography open up the work for me. Well I wasn’t disappointed. As a choreographer
2 May 2025. Fitters’ Workshop, Kingston, Canberra Garden took place in a very different venue from what we are used to for productions by QL2 Dance: the Fitters’ Workshop in the Canberra suburb of Kingston. I was somewhat taken aback when I first heard of this major change from the traditional theatre space in which the annual May production by