19 January 2011

AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE of Un Ballo headlines West Australian Ballet's annual season under the stars.

West Australian Ballet is thrilled to be presenting the Australian premiere of Un Ballo, with support from the Perth International Arts Festival, as the headline work for Ballet at the Quarry, 11 February > 5 March 2011.

Jiří Kylián, former Artistic Director of NDT, has been at the forefront of modern dance since the early 1970's, creating more than 100 choreographic works.  His works are held in repertoire by most of the world's major ballet companies. Therefore, it is a milestone achievement for West Australian Ballet to bring a Kylian - Un Ballo - in to its repertoire for Ballet at the Quarry 2011.

The title Un Ballo may be understood in the traditional connotation of a social event or literally translated - it is not the choreographer's intention to have the spectator search for deep or symbolical contents. He considers it an exercise in musicality and sensitivity between male and female partners.

"...the seven couples... capture the romanticism of the Maurice Ravel music along with the formalism and flirtation of couples at a ball." Dance Magazine 2004

Kylián's assistant Shirley Esseboom will be travelling to Perth in January to stage the work with West Australian Ballet.

Another highlight of this year's Quarry program is the creation of a new work - world premiere - by young Brisbane-born choreographer and dancer David Jonathan, currently with the Royal Ballet of Flanders. His debut as a choreographer was for West Australian Ballet at Quarry 2007 with Beyond This. Since then he has been honing his skills as a choreographer in Europe, winning the Helskinki prize in 2008. His current director, Kathryn Bennetts, invited him to create a short work for the Royal Ballet of Flanders 2009/10, Evolutie.  Jonathan will travel to Perth in January to choreograph his new work on West Australian Ballet, to music by German-born British songwriter, Max Richter.

To complete West Australian Ballet's summer season under the stars is the Uwe Scholz' masterpiece, Seventh Symphony, set to Beethoven's immortal score.

Ivan Cavallari says: "It is with great pleasure that I can introduce one of the world's iconic choreographers, Jiri Kylian, to Perth audiences and to present the Australian premiere of ‘Un Ballo' - created for Kylian's company, NDT, in 1991 I am also very pleased to be continuing the tradition of supporting and promoting talented choreographers within our own West Australian Ballet. And this year we have three outstanding dancers who will be presenting works in Season 2011:   Jayne Smeulders with ‘Cinderella' at His Majesty's Theatre in May, WAB seasonal dancer, Reed Luplau will feature in Neon Lights in July, and to begin the year, talented former WAB dancer, now with the Royal Ballet of Flanders, David Jonathan, will create his second work for Ballet at the Quarry. What better way to begin the year than an evening of exceptional dance under a balmy Perth summer night!

Ballet at the Quarry is a summer institution in Perth and one of the city's favourite festival events. Bring your friends and a picnic and enjoy a stunning program of dance under the warm, starry skies. 

Ballet at the Quarry opens at the Quarry Amphitheatre on Friday 11 February and runs until Saturday 5 March 2010.  Tickets $39 - $63. Bookings through Ticketmaster on 136 100, http://www.ticketmaster.com.au/.

For further information please contact:

Rosita Stangl, Publicist
West Australian Ballet
Ph: 9367 8884 or
Email: rositapr@iinet.net.au

Additional Information:

Biographies:

Jiří Kylián

"I think, that our task as choreographers is to search the extremities of our souls," says Jiří Kylián. Since the early 1970s, the celebrated Czech choreographer, 63, has created 100 works - three-quarters for the Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT). His creations draw inspiration from many different sources, combine elements from diverse art forms and defy categorisation.

First smitten with the magic of circus, young Kylián started his studies as an acrobat. But, at the age of nine, he began training as a dancer at the Prague National Theatre ballet school. Six years later, 

in 1962, he was accepted at the Prague Conservatory and, in 1967-68, won a scholarship to London's Royal Ballet School. There he met the influential choreographer John Cranko, who offered him a contract with the Stuttgart Ballet, and encouraged him to pursue his choreographic  career.

Kylián left Germany in 1975 to become the artistic co-director of the Nederlands Dans Theater, for which he earlier created several pieces as guest choreographer. In 1978, following the success of his choreography "Sinfonietta" at the "Festival of two worlds" in Charleston, South Carolina, he became NDT's sole artistic director. "Symphony of Psalms" (also 1978) was the second significant creation of this time. This work had a decisive influence on any further development of the company, and on its international reputation. In the mid-1980s, Kyliáns work became more abstract, and is best represented by the series of his "Black and White" choreographies. His encounter with the Australian Aboriginals, which took place at that time, played a decisive role in his understanding of dance, as an important "corner stone" of our social structure, and an inevitable facet of our "artistic horizon". Kylián marked NDT's 35th anniversary by creating Arcimboldo (1994) for all three companies of NDT (each one of these companies employs dancers from different age groups). This unique (and award winning) three-dimensional company structure encompasses all phases of a dancer's career (between the age of 17 and 70). Kylián stepped down as artistic director of NDT in 1999, and became resident choreographer until December 2009.

Venerated for his choreographic work for dancers of all age groups, Kylián has received many honours, including the "Nijinsky Award" in Monaco, or the "Legion d'Honneur" of France and in 2008 he was distinguished with one of the highest royal honors, the Medal of the Order of the House of Orange given to him by Her Majesty the Queen Beatrix from the Netherlands. In 2006, he co-created a film, CAR-MEN, which was choreographed and filmed in a devastated landscape of a surface coalmine in the Czech Republic.

David Jonathan

David Graham Jonathan was born and grew up in the city of Brisbane Australia. He began dancing at the Davida Lind Dance Centre under the classical training of Carmel Nolan. He graduated from the Queensland Dance School of Excellence in 2002. David won the Inaugural Australian Choreographic competition in 2004. Once graduated in 2005 from The Australian Ballet School he then joined the West Australian Ballet.

In 2007 David's ballet 'Beyond This' premiered at the West Australian Ballets 'Quarry' season.

Since August 2007 David has been dancing with the Royal Ballet of Flanders in Belgium. As well as choreographing David has performed in such ballets as 'Impressing the Czar' and 'Artifact' by William Forsythe, 'The Sleeping Beauty' and 'Swan Lake' by Marcia Haydee, 'Theme and Variations' by George Balanchine, 'Forgotten Land' and 'Symphony of Psalms' by Jiri Kylian, 'Made Man' by Nicolo Fonte and many more.

After choreographing 'Not Quite December' for the Royal Ballet of Flanders choreographic workshop (Coupe Maison) and winning the cash prize from the International Helsinki Ballet competition for the male solo '303', director Kathryn Bennetts invited David to make the ballet 'Evolutie' for the opening program 2009/10. 

Secretly Yours' and 'For You' were made for the following performances of Coupe Maison. Most recent David made a promotional stunt Flash Mob seen on youtube and a music video for the Belgian artist Harvey Quinnt 'More Fire'.

21 November 2010

Season 2011: family classics and cutting-edge choreography

Jirí Kylián, former Artistic Director of NDT, has been at the forefront of modern dance for more than 30 years. His works are held in repertoire by most of the world’s major ballet companies. Therefore, West Australian Ballet is delighted to be presenting the Australian Premiere of Un Ballo, with support from the Perth International Arts Festival, as the headline work for Ballet at the Quarry, 11 February > 5 March 2011. Young Australian choreographer and dancer David Jonathan, currently with the Royal Ballet of Flanders, will also return to Perth to create a new work – world premiere – for the 2011 Quarry program. His choreographic debut for West Australian Ballet was at Quarry 2007 with Beyond This. To complete West Australian Ballet’s summer season under the stars is the Uwe Scholz’ masterpiece, Seventh Symphony, set to Beethoven’s immortal score.

Continuing West Australian Ballet’s uniquely Australian theme is another world premiere, a new Cinderella by West Australian Ballet Leading Artist Jayne Smeulders, 6 > 21 May 2011 at His Majesty’s Theatre. This will be Jayne’s first major commission for the company, but certainly not her first work: many of her pieces have been seen and enjoyed in numerous West Australian Ballet programs over the past eight years. Updated to the ‘glamour days’ era of the 1930s and with stunning new costumes and beautifully re-imagined set by renowned Australian designer Allan Lees (creator of WAB’s brilliant new Don Quixote in 2010) Jayne has returned to the essence of the original Grimms’ fairytale to instill a certain purity and simplicity to her telling of this family ballet classic. Cinderella will be supported by WASO and conducted by Maestro Myron Romanul.

From 23 > 30 July, the company moves to the Heath Ledger Theatre in the new State Theatre Centre where an Australian flavour will really come to the fore. Garry Stewart, Artistic Director of ADT, will present his work The Centre and its Opposite – Australian premiere – having been created in 2010 for Royal Birmingham Ballet. Added to this will be a world premiere by talented young choreographer, Reed Luplau, who is currently based in New York City choreographing and dancing with some of America’s finest contemporary companies and showcasing his work to wide acclaim. Jirí Kylián’s Un Ballo will also get a chance to shine under proscenium lights in this exciting new venue for Western Australia.

West Australian Ballet began its journey of presenting the ‘great classics’ with The Taming of the Shrew in 2008, thus it became a turning point for the company. To complete Season 2011, The Taming of the Shrew, which received wide acclaim when it premiered with WAB, will certainly close the season on a high note (or jete!). The Taming of the Shrew will be performed at His Majesty’s Theatre 9 > 24 September 2011, supported by WASO and conducted by Maestro Myron Romanul.

Artistic Director Ivan Cavallari says: “West Australian Ballet has a long tradition and history of nurturing Australian talent. In this regard the company has played a central role in the dance landscape of Australia for almost 60 years. Therefore, in 2011, I am proud to be presenting works by world renowned Australian choreographer Garry Stewart, introducing to the public Australians who are living and making their names abroad, David Jonathan and Reed Luplau, and ‘casting’ one of West Australian Ballet’s leading ladies, Jayne Smeulders in the role of choreographer in a major commission, the family classic, ‘Cinderella’, with beautiful new designs by another Australian icon, designer, Alan Lees. As we continue to expand the company and bring into our repertoire some of the greatest exponents of dance on the international stage, I am also very happy to be premiering with West Australian Ballet, Jirí Kylián’s ‘Un Ballo’, and to conclude the year a return season of one of my all-time favourite ballets, John Cranko’s witty and charming ‘The Taming of the Shrew’. Such is the depth and quality of the company that it can now confidently present such an array of world class ballet for our Perth audiences”.

Subscriptions went on sale Friday 22 October. Bookings through BOCS on (08) 9484 1144, or visit waballet.com.au. Single tickets on sale tomorrow (22 November).  Ballet at the Quarry bookings through Ticketmaster 136 100. Cinderella, Neon Lights and The Taming of the Shrew bookings through BOCS on 9484 1133.

29 October 2010

GALA: stars of The Royal Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet and The Australian Ballet join artists of West Australian Ballet

Currently celebrating 40 years as the State Ballet Company, West Australian Ballet has assembled an unforgettable night of ballet featuring Beethoven, Mozart and much more! Whilst established by Ballets Russes dancer Kira Abricossova (Bousloff) in 1952, it wasn't until 1970 that West Australian Ballet achieved official status as the State Ballet Company and funding for a permanent ensemble of professional dancers - at that time just nine! Now, forty years on, the Company has been supported by the Western Australian Government to build the troupe to 40 artists and young artists over the next four years.

Joining West Australian Ballet's Leading Artists and dancers will be Australian, Leanne Benjamin, and partner, Edward Watson, Principal Dancers with The Royal Ballet, Principal Dancers from the Stuttgart Ballet, Sue Jin Kang and Jason Reilly, and from the Australian Ballet, Senior Artists, Lana Jones and Daniel Gaudiello - performing pas de deux from Romeo and Juliet (MacMillan), Onegin (Cranko), The Sleeping Beauty (Haydee), Grand Pas Classique and other well know choreographies.

Opening the program will be 19 by West Australian choreographer, Kim David McCarthy set to Mozart's alluring Piano Concerto No 19, and performed live by Maestro Myron Romanul, and concluding the evening will be the Australian Premiere of Uwe Scholz' masterpiece, Seventh Symphony by Beethoven. Supporting the performance will be the WA Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Myron Romanul.

Artistic Director Ivan Cavallari says: "November in Perth will be a magnificent time to celebrate this important milestone for the Company with some of the world greatest dancers. Stars of the Royal Ballet, The Australian Ballet and even one of my former dancing partners, Sue Jin Kang, who is currently at the top of her career with Stuttgart Ballet are coming to help celebrate and share in this exciting moment."

17 - 21  November 2010
His Majesty's Theatre. 
Tickets $20 - $99. 

Bookings through BOCS Ticketing on (08) 9484 1133, or visit waballet.com.au

Following the finale performance 7.30 - 10.30pm on Sunday 21 November will be a glamorous Champagne Gala party at the Parmelia Hilton: an opportunity to meet the guest stars and to celebrate this special 40^th milestone. Tickets $100 at BOCS, with proceeds going to support the Company's fundraising efforts for their new home in Maylands.