Queensland Ballet Academy was rejoicing on all fronts at the opening night of its inaugural Gala. As well as celebrating the talents of its cohort, the Academy was also revelling in the success of its one-day fundraising campaign to support the fit-out of its new, custom-built premises at Kelvin Grove College, and also the recent endorsement of the Academy as a partner school by the Prix du Lausanne.
The Gala program was an eclectic mix of the traditional and the modern, by both legendary and contemporary choreographers, opening with a slightly abbreviated version of Fokine’s Les Sylphides. This duplicitously simple looking ballet was performed by Senior Program Level 1, 2 and 3 dancers to Brett Sturdy’s live piano accompaniment.
Paul Boyd’s Fertile Ground, for the Pre-Professional Program (PPP) cohort, followed – a showcase of precision and athleticism, especially for the men. Levels 1 and 2 concluded the first half with a lively Gypsy Dances from Don Quixote.
Dancing the exquisite second movement of Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Concerto, Academy graduates and now Queensland Ballet (QB) artists Libby-Rose Niederer and Liam Geck were a highlight of the program's second half, along with QB principal artists Laura Hidalgo and Victor Estevez, in Ben Stevenson’s Cinderella pas de deux.
Otherwise the diversity of the Academy dancers was well showcased with two stylistically different contemporary works by Louise Deleur, Terra and Marcha – the latter for Levels 2 and 3, using light and sound to great visual and comedic effect. These dancers were also featured in a very lively and engaging “Tarantella”, from Bournonville’s Napoli.
The program ended with a highly drilled Grand Défilé by all dancers, from the youngest, Level 4 dancers, aged about 14, to the final year, pre-professional dancers, who will either receive an offer from Queensland Ballet in coming months, or move on to explore other dance options in Australia or overseas.
It can be a tough career, but this well put together Gala, more accomplished than previous Academy showcases, demonstrated that its dancers are being given an excellent chance of succeeding.
- DENISE RICHARDSON
Pictured top are dancers in 'Les Sylphides'.