There was much excitement at the announcement on Friday, 5 August of the tour to Brisbane of American Ballet Theatre (ABT) from 28 August to 7 September 2014. This is another exclusive coup for Brisbane as part of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) International Series. QPAC, in an ongoing partnership with Tourism and Events Queensland, has as its mission, to present the world’s best performing arts companies. ABT will be the third such company to perform here exclusively under that banner, as well as being its first visit ever to Australia.
Dignitaries (including the American Ambassador and his entourage of security officers), government officials, journalists and friends packed the QPAC Concert Hall stage to hear the announcement by the Queensland Minister for the Arts, Ian Walker. The erudite impresario Leo Schofield, who with former Australian Ballet General Manager Ian McRae is co-producing the QPAC Series, spoke briefly but with great insight about the history of ABT and about some of the repertoire for which it has become famous. We were also treated to a short film clip as a foretaste of what is to come, before being showered in a celebratory explosion of red, white and blue foil confetti.
ABT is bringing an exciting program. Kevin McKenzie’s production of Swan Lake, which premiered in 2000, is a fine traditional interpretation of the classic, while the triple bill of Bach Partita, Seven Sonatas, and Fancy Free, will give us a taste of the work of three choreographers all identified strongly with the company – Twyla Tharp, Alexei Ratmansky, and Jerome Robbins. With the champagne already flowing last Friday, it promises to be a red, white and blue star spangled season!
– Denise Richardson
Marcelo Gomes in Fancy Free. Photo: Gene Schiavone.
Scene from Swan Lake. Photo: Rosalie O'Connor.