Queensland Ballet at Home

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Wed 21 Feb 2024 - Wed 13 Mar 2024

Queensland Ballet launched its 2024 season with a treasure trove of pieces selected by former Artistic Director Li Cunxin.

It is timely that the first programme for the new Artistic Director, Leanne Benjamin OBE AM, should take place at the home of Queensland Ballet starting a new chapter in its ravishingly beautiful premises at the Thomas Dixon Centre, Talbot Theatre.

The programme will then be taken through February and March to regional Queensland towns, thereby allowing both the broader Queensland community and members of the ballet corps to be immersed in the beauty of classical and contemporary ballet.

The programme started fittingly by showcasing star performers Chiara Gonzalez and Patricio Revé in the romantic 'Three Preludes' choreographed by Ben Stevenson. As the image below attests, the chemistry between the two dancers was powerfully performed with excellent form and execution.



The choreography takes us on a journey from the barre where the beginnings of their pas de deux are formed, moving to a pas de deux away from rehearsal to a representation of a live performance where romance blossoms, and finally the maturing of their form and technique showcasing the confidence of a couple at their peak.

The second piece in the programme ' Tchaikovsky Mash,' choreographed by Mathew Lawrence, evokes the “belle epoque” of classical dance aptly underscored by Tchaikovsky’s music from The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake.



Apart from the inclusion of principal artist Joel Woeliner and soloist Georgia Swan, this performance was an opportunity for other members of the ballet corps to aspire to the next levels of their dancing careers. It would be interesting to see how their dance matures after extensive travels around Queensland and, in my view, full marks go to a company that values such maturation. Judging by their joyous dance they are going to have the time of their lives and regional Queenslanders will be the beneficiaries,

In the third piece, 'Le Corsair Pas de Deux,' we were treated to outstanding interpretations by Laura Tosar and Patricio Revé. Choreographer Marius Petipa’s work was inspired by Lord Byron’s 1814 poem Le Corsair and it is designed to transport audiences to a world of swash-buckling pirates with its energy, costuming and lively music. It requires precise and technical partnering amply achieved by Tosar and Reve. It was a treat to watch.



The final piece, Greg Horsman’s beautiful 'A Rhapsody in Motion' explores the relationship between the dancer and the captivating music by Rachmaninoff. This was a contemporary dance blockbuster with twenty dancers moving on and off the stage creating a vibrant feast of movement and streaks of colour from their sultry red costumes.



'A Rhapsody in Motion' was an energetic finale to the evening’s eclectic programme of vibrant dance pieces. Judging by the audience's response to all the presented works tonight, we can be optimistic about a good season ahead for 2024.

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