Further Afield: The Australian Ballet On Tour

After arriving in Renmark, The Australian Ballet dancers and crew were welcomed to the Chaffey Theatre located in Erawirung Country with a Welcome to Country led by Aunty Sheryl Giles. Aunty Sheryl spoke about her work in the community and the importance of sharing culture and stories.

Next up on the tour was the town of Tanunda where Artistic Director David Hallberg taught Class On Tour and was joined by Principal Repetiteur Steven Heathcote, Mel Fuller and Alex Mitchell in a Q&A panel session. Corps de Ballet dancer Annabelle Watt and The Australian Ballet School student Lucas McLean also joined the panel to discuss the tour from a different perspective and answer any burning questions.

After a wonderful performance on Saturday evening, the Company was gearing up for the next stop...

The South Australian part of the tour continued, and the dancers and crew arrived in Port Pirie where groups of students from local dance schools watched evening barre class on stage before the performance which included George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante, Stephanie Lake’s Circle Electric: Prologue Anne Woolliams' Swan Lake Act II Pas de Deux and The Sleeping Beauty Act III by Marius Petipa.

Next stop, Whyalla, the home of the giant cuttlefish! The dancers were hosted by the Whyalla Ballet School who kindly lent their studios for the company to rehearse. The performance on Saturday at Middleback Arts Centre was the final stop in South Australia, with special guests, The Australian Ballet Board members Natasha Stott-Despoja and Craig Chung in the audience.

The Company headed to chilly Bendigo to perform at the Ulumbarra Theatre, the largest stage of the tour, which occupies the historic site of the former Sandhurst Gaol. Meaning ‘gather together’ or ‘meeting place in the traditional language of the local Dja Dja Wurrung people, Ulumbarra is a town rich with stories.

David Hallberg returned to take Class On Tour, delighting the 150 guests in attendance, before the company danced the varied tour repertoire under the Ulumbarra Theatre lights, adding another piece to the ongoing cultural history of this iconic venue.

In week four of the tour, the cast and crew made their way north to New South Wales, arriving in the town of Goulburn in time to celebrate The Australian Ballet Soloist, Davi Ramos' birthday. The dancers then dazzled audience members lucky enough to get a ticket to the sold-out performance at the Goulburn Performing Arts Centre before heading out to Newcastle where the sunshine was a welcome change after a chilly few weeks in South Australia and Victoria. Newcastle's Civic Theatre hosted our largest Class On Tour with Steven Heathcote leading class as over 200 attendees watched on.

The Australian Ballet Education and Outreach Team have been supporting the Tour offering workshops, cultural activities and performances throughout the country. So far in 2024, the Education and Outreach team have visited schools and community groups across Melbourne, Shepparton, Cairns, Townsville, Geraldton, Jurien Bay and Perth before meeting up with the touring company in Tanunda, Bendigo, Goulburn, Newcastle and Wagga Wagga.

The NSW Department of Education Arts Unit, Wagga Wagga’s Barradambang Dancers opened the Thursday night performance of The Australian Ballet On Tour with a curtain raiser called Barradambang Wattle, choreographed by Ella in collaboration with local Wiradjuri Elders and First Nations composer Tristan Field.

Alongside this, the Education and Outreach team collaborated with Ella on a holiday dance program for young people in Wagga Wagga. The participants learned new dance skills and created a new dance piece inspired by the local Wetlands on Wiradjuri Country to perform for their family and friends.

This was followed by a performance of From the Gadhu, a captivating First Nations-led creation performed by The Australian Ballet Education and Outreach team. Inspired by the profound cultural symbolism of whale migration, this 20-minute contemporary duet delves into themes of care for Country, intergenerational knowledge sharing, and ecosystemic symbiosis. Music by Tristan Field (Walbunja, Bidjigal, and Sri Lankan), choreography by Ella Havelka (Wiradjuri), and artwork by Latoya Brown (Krauatungalung, Djiringanj, Walbunja, and Bidjigal), add depth and authenticity to this modern adaptation of a narrative that has been passed down by Bidjigal and Darrawhal people for thousands of years.