Stanton Welch is an Australian success story – a former dancer then resident choreographer with the Australian Ballet, he has now been artistic director of the Houston Ballet in the US for 10 years.In that time he has produced a string of major ballets for his own company as well as many others around the world. So it was no small privilege to hear him talk at an Australian Institute of Classical Dance event on Sunday August 24.
Welch is in Australia to stage his La Bayadere for the Australian Ballet, which opens in Melbourne on Thursday.
The AICD event was a fundraiser, appropriately, for the organisation’s Dance Creation, a biennial choreographic competition for classical dance. The AICD was founded by the former ballerina Marilyn Jones, Stanton’s mother, in 1991. She had received a prestigious Creative Arts Fellowship from the Australian Government and used the money to establish the AICD with the aim of fostering classical ballet.
An avid audience listened to Welch, in conversation with Megan Connelly, describing his past and present career, including his inspiration for his ballet Marie Antoinette, a forthcoming production of Zodiac with music by Australian composer Ross Edwards, and his collaboration with the “rock star” pianist Lang Lang – at the pianist’s invitation -- which resulted in a ballet called Sounds of the Soul, and was performed at the Théâtre des Champs Élysées, Paris, with the pianist on stage with the dancers. He also compared the differences between the structures in the Australian Ballet and the Houston Ballet.
The AICD Dance Creation is a national competition, with preliminary heats being held in each state. The winners of the heats will then travel to Melbourne for a grand final at the Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne, on Saturday October 28. They compete for a number of wonderful prizes, such as the possibility of presenting at the Australian Ballet's Bodytorque choreographic season, or to create a work for Houston Ballet 2, under Stanton Welch, or a secondment with major Australian dance companies, Queensland Ballet and Expressions Dance Company.
'Dance Australia', in association with Dance Creation, is offering FIVE DOUBLE PASSES to the final night! All you have to do to go in the draw is email nina@danceaustralia.com.au with “dance creation” giveaway as your subject. Entries close Monday October 20.
Don't miss out!