In conversation with Summer Soirée choreographer, Natalie Weir

When Natalie Weir says an event is going to be special, it’s worth taking note. Immersed in the world of dance for more than 30 years, the award-winning choreographer continues to mesmerize audiences with works described as emotive, captivating, and masterful.

And Summer Soirée – Queensland Ballet Academy’s collaborative event with Philip Bacon Galleries fusing dance, live music, and art - is special, she says.

“If I was an audience member who knew nothing about it, I’d find it fascinating to see,” Natalie says.

“Tim Storrier is the artist Queensland Ballet Academy is collaborating with this year, and what he paints and what he imagines is like nothing I’ve seen before. It’s powerful and dramatic, and it captures a sense of Australia. And to see that visualised through different choreographers and beautiful dancers and then of course, Camerata – Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra…it’s going to be absolutely stunning.”

Using the Archibald Prize-winning artist’s works for inspiration, Natalie and two other acclaimed choreographers (Paul Boyd and Louise Deleur) will create dance pieces performed by the Academy dancers at the Thomas Dixon Centre’s new Talbot Theatre. The inaugural event in 2021 was a glamorous highlight on the Brisbane arts calendar.

Equally fascinating is Natalie’s creative process for a performance such as this one. Drawing on her vast experience (Natalie was the Artistic Director of Expressions Dance Company; has choreographed works for companies including The Australian Ballet, West Australian Ballet, Dance North, Houston Ballet, Singapore Dance Theatre, and American Ballet Theatre; and is currently Queensland Ballet’s Resident Choreographer, she usually begins with a narrative. But with Summer Soirée, it begins with the art.

“I was reading up on Tim Storrier and there was something that literally struck me, and it was about how his unusual landscapes are symbolic and emotionally charged…and more concerned with capturing the human psyche than with making a recording of the physical world. And that really resonated with me,” she says.

From Storrier’s vast collection, Natalie narrowed it down to seven paintings for her work, The Voyager.

“The first piece I chose, The covered voyager (2021), depicts a man with a backpack, looking into the distance. It’s quite unusual and I liked the idea of it being based around a man on a journey. Where is he going, and why?,” Natalie says.

“Another one I love is Fire Line (2018) – which is beautiful, I’ve never seen anything like it. It must have come from his imagination. I liked the aesthetic and the feeling of emptiness, the isolation, this burning sense of something. It captured me.

“Towards the end, it progresses to Evening (flowers for Nancy) (1993), the most touching of paintings to me, of a mass of flowers. It’s absolutely stunning. The colours, the palette of blues and purples…to me, the flowers speak of life, love, romance, of death, grief, and forgiveness.

“And finally, The Passenger (days end) (2018) – he’s looking at the sunset, perhaps nostalgic, dreaming of the future.

“So it will be a journey piece; it’s a person passing through a period of emotions. The artworks are so evocative, with the isolation of the open landscapes, the stormy sea, the wreath which is so poignant. They lend themselves to dance, because dance doesn’t have to describe, only suggest.”

With the narrative in place, Natalie turns to the music, working with Artistic Director Brendan Joyce from Camerata to finalise a musical accompaniment that works with her ideas. Then it’s on to the dancers.

“The creative process is one I’ve honed over many years. I don’t choreograph at home or in my head, I get inspired by the people in front of me. It becomes a conversation with the dancer and they’re an equal contributor to the work,” Natalie says.

“I also work with the Costume Department, so you’ve got all these different elements and it’s my job to draw it all together to make a coherent piece that hopefully speaks to and moves people.”

Featuring premiere works by the three choreographers, plus live music, and large-scale art projections plus more, it’s a platform that will appeal to an array of different audiences – not just dance-lovers. And in addition to being a one-of-a-kind event for Brisbane, Soirée has been designed as an annual showcase and fundraising production for the Academy dancers.

“To see the talent within the Academy, from the youngest dancers right up to the Pre-Professional Program dancers, and to see how beautifully they have all been trained, it’s such a wonderful showcase,” she says.

“The product itself is amazing, with the different interpretations of the art, and the art projected on the stage. And then, as an audience member to watch that - it’s such a coherent and beautiful evening to witness.

“Summer Soirée is a triumph.”

By Cassandra Houghton