The Lo-Down

We absolutely love it here. The company feels like home and Melbourne is a great place to be. It has everything to offer: beaches, vineyards, the city, and such a diverse range of people and cultures. We’re really enjoying familiarising ourselves with our new home.

Well, we’ve been playing tourist in a slightly different way because we’re looking for somewhere to live. So, we’re walking the streets looking for the vibe, for the people and for the feel of what’s right for us. We’ve also been doing a fair amount of drinking and eating, which has been a real treat as everybody seems to take so much pride in what they do here – even the food is full of humility! That’s something that’s really stood out to us about Australian culture. Everybody takes so much pride in their craft – what they put into it, as well as the output – and The Australian Ballet is no exception.

It’s interesting you bring that up, because for Ballet Under the Stars we were on the stage at the same level as the company, as opposed to being in the pit. As a result, I felt like the entire orchestra was incredibly connected to everything that was happening on stage. What was especially great about Ballet Under the Stars was that you could feel the sense of curiosity emanating from the audience, which led to a real, in-depth captivation and cultural investment in the show, which is quite rare. It’s funny, after the interval we played an excerpt from Arturo Marquez’s Danzon No. 2, which I chose because it starts quiet and gentle before building to an exciting climax and I knew it would entice audiences back for the second half of the show. Anyway, there’s a point in the middle of the piece when the energy builds before subsiding a little bit, and then there’s a moment of silence. At that point, I remember hearing how intently the audience was listening. So, we just stretched out the silence by a fraction, because those moments of silence are really powerful. For me that was a perfect example of how captivated Australian audiences can be.

That’s a very interesting question. Of course, it’s a huge pair of shoes to fill. Not least because Nicolette is a legend of the ballet world and the Australian music scene, but because of all the incredible systems and strategies that she’s put in place for the company. At the same time, she and I have developed a really wonderful friendship – a working relationship, but primarily a human connection. I was able to download her experience and to take on all the advice that she had to give before she moved on. During that time, I came to truly understand the heritage Nicolette and the wonderful Music Directors who came before her dared to create over time. And now it’s my turn to be the custodian of that. I absolutely respect the legacy that I’ve inherited, and yet I am also here to respond to the challenges and to the changing landscape of not just the ballet world but society. What a privilege that is.

Where to begin?! I’m really excited, firstly, by the repertoire in 2023. What a wide range of amazing ballets we have in store for us. I’m also really looking forward to further building the relationship between music and dance. There’s a thrill in marrying the energy of the music with the energy of the dancers – it’s the wind beneath the dancers’ wings. So, one of my goals is to extend the dialogue between the orchestra and dancers, who are already so at one with each other, taking it further and finding greater synchronicity so that when we get onto the podium, into the pit, or on stage, the understanding is deeper and the performance is even more exciting.