Cast Sheet

Kunstkamer is an experience of dance on another frequency.

Defined by pure kinetic impulse and raw emotion, this is a contemporary dance spectacle like no other undertaken by The  Australian Ballet. Commissioned for the 60th anniversary of Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT), Kunstkamer comes to life again through the electric energy of The Australian Ballet’s artists, for the first time outside of the Netherlands. A joint creation between four of the world’s most celebrated choreographers - Sol León, Paul Lightfoot, Crystal Pite and Marco Goecke – Kunstkamer ignites the imagination in an unforgettable celebration of dance.

Inspired by Albertus Seba’s 18th-century Cabinet of Natural Curiosities and more broadly, the forces that bind all living organisms, Kunstkamer captures the magic at the intersection of art and science. It is a complex, layered work that both thrills and challenges the senses from start to finish. Stark movement, song, film and spoken word combine to form an eclectic whole, bound by recurring motifs and characters. Its music repertoire - varying from classical masterworks to soulful modern excerpts – showcases an array of composers from Beethoven to Janis Joplin and Joby Talbot.

Four choreographers, four voices. Sol León, Paul Lightfoot, Crystal Pite and Marco Goecke each enrich this work of deep art with their stylistic hallmarks. Curated over two parts, the choreography moves seamlessly from solos and pas de deux, to mesmerising ensemble movements that push the boundaries of expression on stage. Rigour and tenderness, structure and fluidity, the group and the individual; Kunstkamer evolves according to its own captivating dynamics.

A further testament to the work’s celebration of community and connection, The Australian Ballet’s Artistic Director David Hallberg joins the company on stage in Kunstkamer. One of the most acclaimed male dancers of our time, David has undertaken an epic voyage with the artists, sharing in all the triumphs and moments of vulnerability that come with preparing for such a demanding work.

Kunstkamer defies the conventions of contemporary dance, thrilling audiences with an expression of the endless possibilities that exist at the intersection of art and science.

Total running time 135 minutes

Interval 20 minutes

Discover more information about the music of Kunstkamer inside our Souvenir Program, available for purchase at the theatre before your performance. 

Conductor Nicolette Fraillon
Concertmaster Huy-Nguyen Bui

With Opera Australia Orchestra

Benedicte Bemet

David Hallberg

Adam Elmes

Lucien Xu

Callum Linnane

Brett Chynoweth

Amy Harris

Artists of The Australian Ballet

Conductor Nicolette Fraillon
Concertmaster Jun Yi Ma

With Opera Australia Orchestra

Benedicte Bemet

David Hallberg

Adam Elmes

Lucien Xu

Callum Linnane

Brett Chynoweth

Amy Harris

Artists of The Australian Ballet

Conductor Nicolette Fraillon
Concertmaster Huy-Nguyen Bui

With Opera Australia Orchestra

Benedicte Bemet

David Hallberg

Adam Elmes

Lucien Xu

Callum Linnane

Brett Chynoweth

Amy Harris

Artists of The Australian Ballet

Conductor Nicolette Fraillon
Concertmaster Jun Yi Ma

With Opera Australia Orchestra

Benedicte Bemet

David Hallberg

Adam Elmes

Lucien Xu

Callum Linnane

Brett Chynoweth

Amy Harris

Artists of The Australian Ballet

Conductor Nicolette Fraillon
Concertmaster Jun Yi Ma

With Opera Australia Orchestra

Benedicte Bemet

David Hallberg

Adam Elmes

Lucien Xu

Callum Linnane

Brett Chynoweth

Amy Harris

Artists of The Australian Ballet

Conductor Dane Lam
Concertmaster Huy-Nguyen Bui

With Opera Australia Orchestra

Benedicte Bemet

David Hallberg

Adam Elmes

Lucien Xu

Adam Bull

Brett Chynoweth

Amy Harris

Artists of The Australian Ballet

Conductor Nicolette Fraillon
Concertmaster Huy-Nguyen Bui

With Opera Australia Orchestra

Lilla Harvey

David Hallberg

Adam Elmes

Lucien Xu

Callum Linnane

Brett Chynoweth

Amy Harris

Artists of The Australian Ballet

Conductor Nicolette Fraillon
Concertmaster Jun Yi Ma

With Opera Australia Orchestra

Benedicte Bemet

Jorge Nozal

Callum Linnane

Lucien Xu

Adam Bull

Jarryd Madden

Robyn Hendricks

Artists of The Australian Ballet

Conductor Nicolette Fraillon
Concertmaster Huy-Nguyen Bui

With Opera Australia Orchestra

Lilla Harvey

David Hallberg

Adam Elmes

Lucien Xu

Callum Linnane

Brett Chynoweth

Amy Harris

Artists of The Australian Ballet

Conductor Nicolette Fraillon
Concertmaster Jun Yi Ma

With Opera Australia Orchestra

Benedicte Bemet

Jorge Nozal

Callum Linnane

Lucien Xu

Adam Bull

Jarryd Madden

Robyn Hendricks

Artists of The Australian Ballet

Conductor Nicolette Fraillon
Concertmaster Huy-Nguyen Bui

With Opera Australia Orchestra

Lilla Harvey

David Hallberg

Adam Elmes

Lucien Xu

Callum Linnane

Brett Chynoweth

Amy Harris

Artists of The Australian Ballet

Conductor Nicolette Fraillon
Concertmaster Jun Yi Ma

With Opera Australia Orchestra

Lilla Harvey

David Hallberg

Adam Elmes

Lucien Xu

Callum Linnane

Brett Chynoweth

Amy Harris

Artists of The Australian Ballet

Conductor Dane Lam
Concertmaster Huy-Nguyen Bui

With Opera Australia Orchestra

Benedicte Bemet

Jorge Nozal

Callum Linnane

Lucien Xu

Adam Bull

Brett Chynoweth

Amy Harris

Artists of The Australian Ballet

Conductor Dane Lam
Concertmaster Jun Yi Ma

With Opera Australia Orchestra

Lilla Harvey

David Hallberg

Adam Elmes

Lucien Xu

Callum Linnane

Brett Chynoweth

Amy Harris

Artists of The Australian Ballet

Conductor Dane Lam
Concertmaster Jun Yi Ma

With Opera Australia Orchestra

Benedicte Bemet

Jorge Nozal

Callum Linnane

Lucien Xu

Adam Bull

Jarryd Madden

Robyn Hendricks

Artists of The Australian Ballet

Conductor Dane Lam
Concertmaster Huy-Nguyen Bui

With Opera Australia Orchestra

Lilla Harvey

David Hallberg

Adam Elmes

Lucien Xu

Callum Linnane

Brett Chynoweth

Amy Harris

Artists of The Australian Ballet

Conductor Dane Lam
Concertmaster Huy-Nguyen Bui

With Opera Australia Orchestra

Benedicte Bemet

Jorge Nozal

Callum Linnane

Lucien Xu

Adam Bull

Jarryd Madden

Robyn Hendricks

Artists of The Australian Ballet

Conductor Dane Lam
Concertmaster Jun Yi Ma

With Opera Australia Orchestra

Lilla Harvey

David Hallberg

Adam Elmes

Lucien Xu

Callum Linnane

Brett Chynoweth

Amy Harris

Artists of The Australian Ballet

Choreography
Sol León, Paul Lightfoot, Crystal Pite, Marco Goecke

Composers
Ólafur Arnalds, Béla Bartók, Ludwig van Beethoven, Benjamin Britten, Christoph W Gluck, Lorenz Hart, Janis Joplin, Arvo Pärt, Henry Purcell, Richard Rodgers, Jose Sandoval, Franz Schubert, Johann Strauss Jr., Joby Talbot, Willie Mae Thornton

Original lighting design
Tom Bevoort, Udo Haberland, Tom Visser

Costume design
Joke Visser, Hermien Hollander

Set design
Sol León and Paul Lightfoot

Film
Concept, direction and choreography Sol León
Filmed and edited by
Rahi Rezvani

With Opera Australia Orchestra and Orchestra Victoria

World Première 3 October 2019, Zuiderstrandtheater, The Hague, the Netherlands.

Kunstkamer is generously supported by Peter Clemenger AO and the late Joan Clemenger AO, Linda Herd, and Shane Lloyd & Alan Joyce AC.