In December West Australian Ballet (WAB) announced the news that the company’s chief executive, Steven Roth, will be leaving this month to take up the position of executive director of Scottish National Ballet.
Roth took over the reins at WAB in 2007 and the company has blossomed under his directorship, with the number of dancers doubling and the company moving to its beautiful home, the State Ballet Centre in Maylands, in 2012.
In our August/September issue last year, we featured Steven Roth in "Limelight". In celebration of his achievements at West Australian Ballet, we now bring you the uncut version of that interview, which took place in June 2015.
DA: Where were you born?
SR: I was born in the Victorian town of Castlemaine, famous for Castlemaine Rock (not the one you dig – this one you eat!). It also has a fabulous State Festival, the first established in Victoria.
DA: What do/did your parents do for a living?
SR: My father was a teacher and mother worked in a bank.
DA: Any siblings?
SR: Yes two sisters. And also five talented nephews.
DA: Were you involved in dance as a child/teenager?
SR: Well I did do one term of ballet at the local ballet school. But it wasn’t really my thing, so I started piano lessons and sung in the Anglican choir instead.
DA: What made you decide to go into arts management?
SR: I really just morphed into it. I was conducting concerts, and then started to produce them. It seemed like a natural progression for me. I’m happiest in a theatre – it doesn’t matter whether I am on stage or back stage.
DA: What and where did you study?
SR: I first studied music teaching, then went on to study conducting at the Victorian College of the Arts under Robert Rosen; an incredibly tough but inspiring professor.
DA: What was your first job?
SR: My first professional job was teaching music in the small Gippsland town of Trafalgar (pop. 2000). This was a lovely experience and I learnt a lot there.
DA: What made you decide to apply for the executive position at West Australian Ballet?
SR: I had been at the Victorian College of the Arts for five years, firstly as sponsorship manager and then as manager of development and public affairs and I guess I really got the taste for dance there. It is an amazing institution, a cultural diamond. When I saw the WAB position advertised, I thought I should give it a go. The WAB board was also appointing a new artistic director, which made the position even more attractive, because you can build something together rather than simply inheriting what is already established.
DA: What was it like, moving from your role at VCA to heading up a dance company? What were the challenges of the new role?
SR: The second day into the job I was served a ‘right to strike’ notice from the dancers – they had been underpaid for years and decided to ramp up their call for better conditions. I spent my first two months dealing with that issue, including a three day hearing in the Arbitration Commission. That was quite an initiation!
Once we were through that, the next challenge was what to do with the Company. Whilst WAB is the oldest ballet company in Australasia (est 1952), there were scant resources for repertoire and our physical location in His Majesty’s Theatre, with only one studio, was pretty dire. So we decided to set out a bold new strategic direction for the Company, which, thankfully was backed by the board and the Government.
DA: What has been the highlight of your time at West Australian Ballet?
SR: There have been so many! But three in particular still resonate strongly: opening Marcia Haydée’s production of The Sleeping Beauty at the Crown Theatre in September 2010 – we almost didn’t make it. This production was the most expensive that WAB had ever taken on and was coming from Ballet de Santiago in Chile. Days before the set and costumes were to set sail, the largest earthquake in 100 years hit Chile and shut down the city and closed the main port for months. We couldn’t get the production out because most of the shipping containers on the docks had been damaged, as had the national ballet centre in Santiago where the costumes were housed. However, with a bit of luck, we managed to get everything to Perth with just days to spare. And what a huge success the premiere was for the Company at that time.
The opening of the $13M State Ballet Centre in 2012 was another incredible highlight for me and the Company. Everyone thought we were mad and said it couldn’t be done (to raise that amount of money in Perth); but one thing WAB is famous for is ‘never say never’!
Our production of Mozart’s Requiem (choreographed by Natalie Weir) at St George’s Cathedral in 2011 was one of the most memorable artistic experiences I have had in my career. It was both moving and uplifting and managed to convey all that art is, and should be.
DA: And the lowlight?
Working for the first five years in terribly cramped and antiquated conditions in His Majesty’s Theatre – a glorious historic theatre, but with absolutely no backstage or adequate operational facilities. With only one dance studio (three were required), we had our dancers walking to various locations around the city for rehearsals, including the Burt Hall at St Georges Cathedral 15 minutes away. But a positive of that situation came from the wonderful and enduring relationship we have built with the Cathedral.
DA: What do you like best about being the chief executive of West Australian Ballet?
SR: Enabling incredibly talented young people to fulfill their dreams as professional dancers. I am also very motivated and blessed by the people around me. We have a hard working and dedicated group of people in the ballet company and it shows in everything we achieve on stage and off.
DA: And what are the most challenging aspects of the job?
SR: Raising money and keeping the budget on track. Ballet is an endless money pit; if you don’t keep on top of the budget, you can quickly lose control of the ship.
It has also been very difficult to tour the Company beyond WA. The Company should be seen by more people, particularly nationally and internationally. Touring also helps to build a motivated and cohesive troupe.
DA: What’s the funniest thing that has happened while you have been at WAB (can be an onstage or something behind the scenes)?
SR: Before we had our famous heated floor, after a hot day the nights at our ‘Ballet at the Quarry’ season in February could become quite damp and the stage would draw the moisture down and condensate, literally turning the stage into an ice skating rink. On one particular night, after a couple of dislocated attempts to begin the programme, we decided it was too dangerous to continue. Rather than send the audience home without a show, the dancers decided to make a cabaret performance. They all seemed to have a ‘party piece’ they were happy to share with the audience. It was a very funny evening; one of those off-the-cuff moments that worked a treat.
DA: Of the works that have been performed by West Australian Ballet during your tenure, which has been your favourite and why?
SR: Again there have been so many. The Sleeping Beauty and Requiem I have already mentioned. Our 2008 premiere of Ivan Cavallari’s spectacularly modern take on The Nutcracker (set in an Australian summer and designed by Eduardo Sanchi) was pretty special. John Cranko’s Onegin in 2013 was also a great achievement for the Company, and is near the top of my list of favourite ballets. Onegin has it all: brilliant choreography, a dramatic and realistic story, and a wonderful Tchaikovsky score.
DA: If you were a ballet dancer, what sort of a dancer do you think you would be?
SR: That’s a hard question. I think I’d prefer to be in the orchestra pit conducting – that way I have all of the control and none of the pain! I see what the dancers have to put their bodies through each day and season. It may look easy on stage, but it is an incredibly tough and demanding art form. They should all be awarded medals for what they give back to us.
Dance Australia wishes Steven Roth all the best with the Scottish National Ballet.