Australian Ballet 2017 Preview

words by niall roeder

From gritty contemporary to a nut-cracking adaptation and childhood classics, the Australian Ballet is offering an eclectic selection in 2017. The phrase, “there’s something for everyone” may get thrown around way too often these days, but for ballet-lovers, it might just be the truth this time.

Of the six productions the Australian Ballet company are performing this year there are three very nostalgic stories that stand out; The Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker: the Story of Clara and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

The Sleeping Beauty
In what the Australian Ballet is calling its “most lavish production”, David McAllister’s version of The Sleeping Beauty jetés into this classic fairytale head first. Vividly detailed costumes and a renowned Tchaikovsky score pull you through an enchanted forest in this charming and well-known tale.

Nutcracker: The Story of Clara
Graeme Murphy’s uniquely Aussie version of The Nutcracker celebrates its 25^th birthday this year. The much loved tale follows Clara, the ex-lead of the Ballets Russes who has settled down under. Like his reimagining of Swan Lake, Murphy’s “Gum-nutcracker” expertly blends the original sentiment with a modern touch.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice is a beautifully dramatic adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s classic book. Wheeldon’s brilliant choreography is complemented by vibrant costumes and puppetry, as well as a few laughs to really bring Carroll’s intoxicating adventure to life.

For those not down with their ballet being fairytale, historic or psychedelic adventures – don’t despair! In addition to the three mentioned performances, there will be Faster (a triple program of intense contemporary ballet), Symphony in C (a taste of both of classical and modern ballet) and Step Inside (special events, talks and classes).

The Sleeping Beauty runs June 16 – 27
Nutcracker: The Story of Clara runs June 2 – 10
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland runs September 12 – 30
Faster runs March 17 – 27
Symphony in C runs August 24 – September 2
Step Inside program will be released in February 2017

There are only two days left to purchase yourself a 2017 Season Package! Head quickly to the link in our bio now to secure yourself an awe-inspiring year of ballet … ? #Wonderment #AusBallet @guochengwu and @akokondo

A post shared by The Australian Ballet (@ausballet) on Jan 3, 2017 at 10:25pm PST