Wheeldon's Wonderland to headline the Australian Ballet's 2017 season

 

 

As artistic director David McAllister pointed out at the launch of the Australian Ballet’s 2017 program, the season features an unusually high number of works by living choreographers.

Headlining the 2017 season is Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, a new production by renowened British choreographer Christopher Wheeldon. Blending the spectacle of Broadway with Wheeldon’s signature, rigorous ballet style, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland plays Melbourne in September and Sydney in December 2017.

Moving back now, to the start of the year, the season will open with McAllister’s production of The Sleeping Beauty, which will make its Brisbane debut in February, followed by encore seasons in Melbourne in June and Sydney in November.

2017’s contemporary triple bill is entitled “Faster” and will feature David Bintley’s work by the same name, an Olympic-inspired piece charting the exultant highs and devastating lows of elite athletes. The bill will also feature the Australian premieres of new works by Wayne McGregor and Tim Harbour. Harbour’s work will see him reunite with architect Kevin Ho and lighting designer Benjamin Cisterne, the team behind 2015’s Filigree and Shadow. Faster opens in Melbourne in March and Sydney in April.

Next on the calendar is Graeme Murphy’s Nutcracker, a work that celebrates its 25th birthday in 2017. It tells the story of an elderly Russian emigrant and former prima ballerina, dreaming of the triumphs and challenges of her youth, one hot Christmas Eve in Melbourne, and features set and costume designs by the great Kristian Fredrickson. The Nutcracker opens in Sydney in May and Melbourne in June.

Last but not least, is “Symphony in C”, a bill named for the title work, by George Balanchine. Showcasing the grace and elegance of classical dance with modern speed and a touch of Hollywood pizazz, Symphony in C will be accompanied by a gala line-up of shorter works. “Symphony in C” will play in Melbourne in August.

For more information about the 2017 program, including events such as Ballet Under the Stars, the Telstra Ballet Dancer Awards, the regional tour and more, head to www.australianballet.com.au