Celebrate David McAllister
…tage galas set for you, we had a one-off ‘gala-ette’, and now we have this online streaming tribute. We could not let COVID-19 stop us offering you a collective, heartfelt thank you In three parts, it covers first up McAllister’s performing career with some wonderful footage—those fabulous turns in La Fille mal gardée—; the second looks at what Trioli refers to as ‘some of the milestones David has achieved’ during his term as artistic director; an…
Dance diary. January 2017
…nce Awards website, in particular to this link. These awards are given for outstanding achievement in Australian professional dance. Nominate now! Press for January 2017 ‘The transformative power of dance.’ Feature on a new venture by Padma Menon. The Canberra Times, 18 January 2017, p. 18. Online version Padma Menon, 2017. Photo: © Lorna Sim ‘Dancer’s journey a rainbow of colours.’ Feature on Philip Piggin, creative program officer at Belconnen A…
The Sleeping Beauty. Royal Czech Ballet
…small roles in various crowd scenes. But the Royal Czech Ballet is a small company of around 26 dancers so scenes like the 16th birthday of Aurora and her eventual wedding to Prince Desiré looked a little sparse. I was curious about the choreography too. Some looked very much in the ‘Petipa style’ with its structured lines and groupings of dancers. This was especially noticeable in the choreography for and dancing by the corps de ballet in the ear…
Reef UP! Liz Lea and dancers
…mes, wigs and lighting; decorative props filling the performing space; and underwater footage playing continuously in the background. It is expertly performed by three dancers (Liz Lea, Liesel Zink and Michael Smith), who all are required to make a myriad of quick changes to become different reef creatures; and one imposing gentleman (Greg Barratt from Canberra’s GOLD company) as King Neptune. Reef UP! is a little in the tradition of the now old-f…
La Fille mal gardée. Queensland Ballet
…ing by Jon Buswell provided a great background for the dancers of Queensland Ballet. Music was performed by Camerata—Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra and conducted with his usual skill by Nigel Gaynor. This Fille is a little gem and Queensland Ballet continues to show what a terrific company it has become. Bouquets to all. (I have no images of the cast I saw, unfortunately. But below are some from another cast.) Artists of Queensland Ballet in La Fi…
Woyzeck. Free Theatre
…er Ullyart as Woyzeck. Image: © Stuart Lloyd-Harris On my second visit I found many fragments of kindness among the cast and crew who are as committed to the Free Theatre enterprise as folk were in the old-fashioned days of Theatre Action and Red Mole. Bring back the fashion I say, the country needs it. I’d have thought Auckland Arts Festival would snap up this Woyzeck—and The Pump House would be a perfect venue for a return season of the choreoma…
Hillscape. Australian Dance Party
…ling sections danced with skill and style by the three dancers. Hillscape, commissioned by Ausdance ACT as part of its Dance Week program, was a component of Seeds of Life, a session in the 2023 Canberra International Music Festival (CIMF). It was preceded by a performance from clarinettist Oliver Shermacher, which we saw and heard in the Margaret Whitlam Pavilion; and three other musical presentations that took place in various outdoor locations…
Nina Verchinina: a postscript
…d about her personal life. At this stage, and until further documentary evidence comes to light, I believe that Nina Verchinina was: born in 1910; married to Newell Chase, perhaps around 1939, the year her American identity papers were issued. Whether this was a marriage of convenience or not is a matter for speculation. Verchinina listed herself as stateless on Australian immigration documents but that designation was followed by (American); and…
New Zealand School of Dance Graduation Season, 2018 (2)
…as completely mesmerising. Cloud Gate is one of the most interesting dance companies in the world today and it can only do good for young students, and all of us, to be made aware of them and their repertoire. Music by Xenakis was the water they danced in. Huri Koaro (Inside out), by Gabrielle Thomas, assisted by Megan Adams, is a work from Atamira dance collective’s repertoire. It brought a welcome and convincing Maori female presence to the stag…
Gudirr, Gudirr. Dalisa Pigram
…nd, while the difficult moments, such as those when Pigram dwelt on youth suicide, were indeed confronting, I felt that the anger was mine not Pigram’s. She was bent on presenting herself as a woman of mixed heritage making an effort to understand and deal with the situation in which she found herself. Oh that we could all have the courage to confront the issues that confound us! Michelle Potter, 4 October 2017 Featured image: Dalisa Pigram in Gud…