For almost sixty years, The Australian Ballet has evolved to become one of our most treasured cultural institutions.
As The Australian Ballet looks forward to a new era, And We Danced looks back on what has shaped this iconic company and made it uniquely ours.
For the first time in its history The Australian Ballet opens its remarkable archive. As well as rarely seen historical footage, this three-part series features interviews with past and present dancers, celebrity fans of the ballet, choreographers, artistic directors and ballet historians to tell the entertaining, and at times turbulent, story of our iconic national ballet company.
In the opening episode, Australia’s fever for ballet began in the early 20th century with the arrival of the Ballet Russes, who inspired the establishment of Australia’s first professional ballet company – the Borovansky Ballet.
Despite outstanding success with audiences, the life of the company was short lived. It wasn’t until the arrival and foresight of British dancer Peggy van Praagh – who took over the sinking company – that the future of ballet in the country looked up.
A successful campaign to government in 1964 led to the establishment of Australia’s first professional dance company: The Australian Ballet. The company’s debut of adored classic Swan Lake was a resounding success, but the early decades were far from smooth sailing. A failed tour to New Zealand, over-worked dancers and industrial action threatened the fledgling company as it tried to carve out its own unique cultural identity.
The early seventies saw the celebrated arrival of a new mode of contemporary dance and the company’s iconic production of Rudolph Nureyev’s Don Quixote, an extravaganza that would herald the greatest ballet film of all time.
Whilst the company’s new edge pleased adventurous audiences, a division between the artistic and administrative sides of the company was glaringly apparent. A revolving door of artistic directors and tensions with company management would see out a decade marred by instability and the ballet’s struggle to find its artistic voice.
Production credits: Executive Producer, Veronica Fury. Director, Andy Southwell. Writer & Story Producer, Samantha Dinning. Lead Editor, Hilary Balmond.
