Your guide to DanceX

X What is Allegro Brillante?

George Balanchine’s concentrated essay on extended classical choreography, Allegro Brillante is classical form at its most pure. Set to composer Piotr Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No 3, Allegro Brillante is light, bright and technically challenging. Short and sweet, the rapid choreography matches the energy of Tchaikovsky’s music but still manages to find moments of gentle pause for the dancers to fully express themselves. 

X Who is George Balanchine? 

Perhaps one of the most famous choreographers of recent history, George Balanchine was one of the leading dance figures of the 20th century and co-founded two of ballet’s most important institutions: New York City Ballet and the School of American Ballet. Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Balanchine studied at the Imperial Ballet School, and danced at the Mariinsky Theatre Ballet Company, where he began choreographing short works. In 1924, at the invitation of Serge Diaghilev, Balanchine moved to Paris to join the Ballet Russes, where he remained as Ballet Master until 1929. Balanchine was persuaded to move to the USA in 1933 by arts connoisseur Lincoln Kirstein and in 1934 the pair founded the School of American Ballet. In 1948 Balanchine founded the New York City Ballet, instigating a new style of ballet and reinvigorating American ballet culture. Over his 60-plus year career, Balanchine choreographed over 425 works, many of which are considered masterpieces of the art form and are still performed by ballet companies across the world.

X What is Ground Control?

Premiering during The Australian Ballet's National Tour, Lucy Guerin's Ground Control is the newest work from the acclaimed choreographer who last collaborated with The Australian Ballet during the 2022 DanceX Festival. Interested in opposing forces, Guerin’s Ground Control looks into the dynamics of how dancers must navigate gravity while simultaneously working in direct opposition to reach unprecedented heights. 

Including a score that blends contemporary beats with classical chamber music, the choreography shifts between earthy grounded movement into ethereal lightness, playing with the dichotomy between earth and air. 

X Who is Lucy Guerin?

Lucy Guerin is one of Australia’s most acclaimed choreographers, internationally renowned for her work in the contemporary dance space. Born in Adelaide, Guerin trained at the Centre for Performing Arts before finding work in Sydney and Melbourne and then heading to New York City where she established herself as a choreographer. Returning to Melbourne in 2002, Guerin established her own contemporary dance company, Lucy Guerin Inc (LGI.) where she continues to push the boundaries of dance with her works that infuse text, film, visual design and music, to evolve into new forms of movement. 

X What is this New Work?

If Tim Harbour’s previous pieces are anything to go by, his world-premiere, created on The Australian Ballet’s dancers is going to be nothing short of extraordinary. Still in development, Harbour is keeping this piece close to the chest, but we can share that it includes three dancers and Harbour’s trademark emotionally rich choreography. Watch this space for more updates!

X Who is Tim Harbour?

Former The Australian Ballet dancer, Tim Harbour joined the company in 1995 where he performed many leading roles across the company’s repertoire. After retiring from The Australian Ballet in 2007, Harbour worked extensively across the world and has been hailed for his dynamic and theatrical pieces and performances that extend across both classical and contemporary genres with their unique storytelling and expressive choreography. Harbour was The Australian Ballet’s resident choreographer between 2014 and 2021 creating acclaimed works Squander and Glory and Filigree and Shadow, which additionally toured to the United States.

In 2023 Harbour created the film, What Remains for former Principal Artist Kevin Jackson recognising Jackson’s remarkable to contribution to the company and investigating "what remains" when an artist stops performing.