Season 2018
For every dreamer
A dream to dance with heart and soul, to tell a story, to enter a world of wonder and artistry.
2018 was a milestone moment for Queensland Ballet that saw the Company stage productions simultaneously in two countries, speaking volumes about the growth in size, capability and talent. On the same night in November, we opened both A Midsummer Nights Dream in Shanghai and the contemporary season of Bespoke.
La Bayadère
The temple dancer
16 – 29 March 2018
This sumptuous new production swept us back into the exotic world of the 19th century British Raj and unravelled the story between two characters whose love was so powerful, it transcended life.
La Bayadère was a co-production between Queensland Ballet, West Australian Ballet and Royal Winnipeg Ballet.
Choreographer: Greg Horsman, after Marius Petipa
Music: Ludwig Minkus
Conductor & Musical Arrangement: Nigel Gaynor
Music performed by Queensland Symphony Orchestra
Set and Costume Designer: Gary Harris
Lighting Designer: Jon Buswell
Carmen & The Firebird
A fiery and dramatic double bill choreographed by two of ballet’s best.
25 May - 3 June 2018
Carlos Acosta’s Carmen was a powerful, theatrical ballet — a tour-de-force of raw, honest characters and thrilling dance.
In this exhilarating season, Liam Scarlett brought the powerful narrative and finely-crafted ballet, The Firebird to the Brisbane stage.
Carmen was a co-production between Royal Ballet, Queensland Ballet and Texas Ballet Theater.
Choreographer: Carlos Acosta
Composer: Georges Bizet
Conductor: Nigel Gaynor
Musical Arrangement: Martin Yates
Music performed by Queensland Symphony Orchestra
Stager: Yaday Ponce
Set and Costume Designer: Tim Hatley
Lighting Designer: Peter Mumford
The Firebird was a production from the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet.
Choreographer: Liam Scarlett
Composer: Igor Stravinsky
Conductor: Nigel Gaynor
Musical Arrangement: Jonathan McPhee
Music performed by Queensland Symphony Orchestra
Stager: Kaloyan Boyadjiev
Set and Costume Designer: Jon Bausor
Lighting Designer: James Farncombe
Cinderella
Love triumphs with a sprinkling of fairy magic.
7 - 15 September 2018
Ben Stevenson’s Cinderella remains one of the most popular versions of this productions since its premiere in 1970. Charming, humorous and blissfully romantic, this perfect fairy-tale was an enchanting ballet enjoyed by the whole family.
This production has been enabled by the generous support of Gerry and Valerie Ryan.
Choreographer: Ben Stevenson OBE
Composer: Sergei Prokofiev
Conductor: Nigel Gaynor
Music performed by Queensland Festival Philharmonic Orchestra
Staged by Tim O’Keefe
Set Designer: Thomas Boyd
Costume Designer: Tracy Grant Lord
Lighting Designer: David Walters
Bespoke
A creative intersection of art forms
9 - 17 September 2018
Our 2018 season of Bespoke challenged assumptions about what dance is, what dancers can do, and how dance is experienced. We collaborated with artists from Expressions Dance Company; independent contemporary dance maker, Gabrielle Nankivell; and rising talent from Queensland Ballet’s Company, Jack Lister to create a multi-sensory dance experience.
Bespoke was assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body.
Choreographers: Gabrielle Nankivell, Jack Lister, Craig Davidson
Choreographer/Film Artist: Cass Mortimer Eipper
Guest Dancers: Expressions Dance Company
Composer: Luke Smiles
Photographer: David Kelly
Creative Associate: Amy Hollingsworth
Lighting Designer: Cameron Goerg
The Nutcracker
A beloved and magical Christmas tale
14 - 22 December 2018
In 2018 we welcomed the holiday season with the beloved and magical Christmas tale, The Nutcracker. In its fifth season, this wondrous ballet has become a family favourite for the festive season.
Choreographer: Ben Stevenson OBE
Composer: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Conductor: Nigel Gaynor
Music performed by Queensland Symphony Orchestra
Set Designer: Thomas Boyd
Costume Designer: Desmond Heeley
Associate Costume Designer: Noelene Hill
Lighting Designer: David Walters
Synergy
Queensland Ballet Academy
27 July - 4 August 2018
Synergy brought together the rising stars of Queensland Ballet, in a series of short, contemporary and neo-classical works, performed by the dancers of the Pre-Professional and Jette Parker Young Artist Programs, as well as Company Artists.
LUNAR
Choreographer: Rani Luther
Music: The Chopin Project, Ólafur Arnolds. The Melody, Francesco Tristano
NOCTURNE
Choreographer: Jack Lister
Music: Beethoven ‘Moonlight’ Sonata, Op.27, No.2; Chopin Prelude in e, Op.28, No.4; Chopin Nocturne in Eâ™, Op.9, No.2; Chopin ‘Ocean’ Etude in c, Op.25, No.12; Chopin Nocturne in c♯, Op.posthumous.
Themes and excerpts selected from the above piano repertoire, re-imagined and recorded by Brett Sturdy in consultation with Jack Lister.
GISELLE
Choreographer: Jack Lister
Music: Adolphe Adams
MOVING PORTRAITS
Choreographer: Louise Deleur
Music: Musical Portrait of Chuck Close (from Portraits) — Movements 1 & 2 by Philip Glass, Bruce Levingston
SEGUÌ
Choreographer: Vito Bernasconi
Music: Following A Bird — Ezio Bosso
ALL PIECES
Lighting Designer: Cameron Goerg
Costume Designer: Noelene Hill
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Melbourne Tour
3 - 7 October 2018
After it charmed Brisbane audiences in 2016, we toured Liam Scarlett’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream to Melbourne in 2018. Shakespeare’s whimsical masterpiece has been transformed into glorious dance thanks to acclaimed choreographer Liam Scarlett. Together with Mendelssohn’s evocative music, Scarlett’s witty choreography brings the magical, humorous and timeless story of love, jealousy and mistaken identities to life.
A co-production between Queensland Ballet and Royal New Zealand Ballet.
Choreographer: Liam Scarlett
Composer: Felix Mendelssohn
Conducted and Arranged by Nigel Gaynor
Music performed by Orchestra Victoria
Costume & Set Designer: Tracy Grant Lord
Lighting Designer: Kendall Smith
Swan Lake
Regional QLD tour
20 June - 7 July 2018
True love prevails in this powerful story set to Tchaikovsky’s glorious score. After a sell-out sensation in Brisbane we toured this sublime ballet, Ben Stevenson’s Swan Lake, to five major centres in regional Queensland.
Touring Mackay, Rockhampton, Toowoomba, Maryborough and Cairns.
Production courtesy of Royal New Zealand Ballet.
Regional touring is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.
Choreographer: Ben Stevenson OBE, after Petipa and Ivanov
Composer: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Costume and Set Designer: Kristian Fredrikson
Lighting Designer: Glenn Hughes
