Your Guide to DanceX: West Australian Ballet

X What is Extension to Boom?

British choreographer George Williamson created Extension to Boom for the West Australian Ballet for their 2024 triple bill, Ballet at the Quarry. Drawing inspiration from the score by Bryce Dessner, Extension to Boom is an abstract contemporary ballet that moves with the dramatic waves of Dessner’s Concerto for Two Pianos. The frenzied score is complemented by Jonathan Hindmarsh’s candy-coloured pastel costumes and Williamson’s lightning-fast choreography.

The high-energy piece features six couples dancing with frenzied exuberance that Williamson describes as “a visceral exploration of movement, geometry and a passionate pursuit of physical expression”. Full of personality and joyful energy, Extension to Boom is a fresh modern ballet that sparkles through its journey to a collective understanding of existence.

X Who is West Australian Ballet?

Founded in 1952 by former Ballet Russes ballerina Madame Kira Bousloff, the West Australian Ballet is the oldest continuous ballet company formed in Australia. Combining exceptional artistry and varied repertoire across both classical and contemporary styles, West Australian Ballet delights audiences locally and internationally with everything from full-length traditional ballets to contemporary works that draw inspiration from the rugged West Coast.

Located in Perth on the historic site of the former Blind Institute in Maylands, the West Australian Ballet Centre dates back to 1897 and is a unique creative environment. Over the past 70-plus years, the company has attracted the best and brightest choreographers, including Graeme Murphy, Stephen Page, Stephen Baynes and Gideon Obarzanek, and is currently under the guest artistic direction of former The Australian Ballet Principal Artist and Artistic Director, David McAllister.