Australian Ballet School: Graduate Exhibition

Australian Ballet School: Graduation Exhibition 2012
State Theatre, Arts Centre, Melbourne, 23 September -

The Australian Ballet School Graduate Exhibition is always a heartwarming experience, with so much dedication and talent on display and so much exuberant support from the audience.

This year’s program began quietly with Les Sylphides, to a piano score (recorded) played by Emma Lippa. The young students made a lovely ensemble and have deepened their understanding of this Romantic ballet’s style since their performance of the same work earlier this year. All soloists performed with softness and subtlety, though petite Miyu Katayama (who performed the Waltz) has a lightness and delicacy especially well suited to the part. Alexander Idaszak impressed with his strong back, beaten steps and mature interpretation of the yearning poet.

The second half of the program was given over to short pieces that demonstrated the students’ virtuosity and versatility, with boys and girls performing in equal measure. Three of the seven works were by the school’s resident choreographer, Leigh Rowles, and as usual she gave the students stylish vehicles in which to show off their considerable talents. Shaun Andrews threatened to overshadow all his Level 6 classmates in the Grande Tarantella with his thrilling jumps, and in 3 Preludes for Men, Cameron McCormack and Alec Roberts were also notable, with beautiful, properly squared arabesque lines and unforced classical deportment. All graduates performed in On the Threshold, keeping precise lines and placing while confidently tossing off pirouettes, hops on pointe and jetes of all description.

Two excerpts from Kylian works – Symphony in D, Return to a Strange Land - a quintet by contemporary teacher Margaret Wilson and a Flamenco group to guitar and hand clapping performed live on stage rounded out the program.

This year’s graduates appear to be of a uniformly high standard – the boys in particular were very even. It’s hard to imagine any company director not snapping them up.

The evening also paid tribute to the woman who started it all – founding director Dame Margaret Scott, who turned 90 this year. She was escorted onto the stage by two senior boys for a well-deserved bow. The ABS’s current artistic director, Marilyn Rowe, remained modestly seated in the audience.

-- KAREN VAN ULZEN