This month, ballet fans will have the rare opportunity to see the acclaimed Australian Ballet in London. As part of the company’s 60th anniversary celebrations, performances by The Australian Ballet at London’s Royal Opera House will be the only performances outside of Australia. The 2023 London Tour will be the first international tour for The Australian Ballet under the leadership of Artistic Director David Hallberg. It will be the company’s first return to the Royal Opera House after an absence of 35 years.
American-born David Hallberg, former principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre, the Bolshoi Ballet and a principal guest artist with The Royal Ballet became the Artistic Director of The Australian Ballet in 2021. He’s been called “the Nureyev of our time” and has brought his wealth of artistic experience and his fame to the Australian company. For his first international tour with The Australian Ballet, Hallberg oversees a special one-off anniversary performance of Harlequinade by New York-based choreographer Alexei Ratmansky on Sunday 6 August, at London’s Royal Opera House. This will be the first opportunity for UK audiences to experience this playful work by one of the most important living choreographers. The program also includes works by George Balanchine and Kenneth Macmillan as well as works by celebrated living choreographers Pam Tanowitz, Justin Peck, Alice Topp – before concluding with excerpts from popular classics, Yuri Possokhov’s Anna Karenina and Rudolf Nureyev’s Don Quixote.
The Australian Ballet’s London season opens on 2 August with five performances of George Balanchine’s Jewels. Considered a cornerstone of the ballet repertoire, Jewels (1967) is a three-part full-evening ballet including Emeralds, Rubies and Diamonds, inspired by the choreographer’s chance visit to the iconic Maison Van Cleef & Arpels on Fifth Avenue in New York. The ballet beautifully captures the allure of radiant jewels, making it a significant and captivating piece in the ballet repertoire. When it premiered in 1967, theatre critic Clive Barnes said “it is open to doubt whether even George Balanchine has ever created a work in which the inspiration was so sustained, the invention so imaginative or the concept so magnificent as in the three-act ballet that had its world première at the New York State Theater last night.”
Jewels has been called the first full-length abstract ballet. It stands out as a one-of-a-kind work: an engaging three-act performance that unfolds without a traditional plot, set to the music of three distinctly different composers. George Balanchine drew inspiration from the artistic brilliance of jewelry designer Claude Arpels and handpicked music that captured the essence of each precious gem. The Australian Ballet production remains faithful to the original 1967 costumes by Barbara Karinska, who skilfully replicated the qualities of real stones which would have been far too heavy for the dancers to wear.
Each section of the ballet is distinct in both music and mood. Emeralds, accompanied by Gabriel Fauré’s music, is set in 19th century France with the green of the dancers’ costumes evoking enchanted forests and hunting scenes. Rubies, set to Stravinsky’s jazzy Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra, takes you to mid-20th century New York. Diamonds, with Tchaikovsky’s 3rd Symphony, recalls the grandeur of the Russian Imperial court and the Maryinsky Theater, where Balanchine was trained.
Over 90 dancers, musicians, wardrobe, medical, technical, production and support staff make up the touring party. Among the Principal Dancers who travelled to London is Joseph Caley. Born in Hull, UK, Caley joined The Australian Ballet in 2022, having previously being a Principal Dancer with the English National Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet, under Carlos Acosta. These performances in Diamonds will mark his first UK appearance since joining The Australian Ballet. The Australian Ballet presents over 180 performances each year in capital cities, regional centres and schools around the country. It is the resident ballet company of the Sydney Opera House and Arts Centre Melbourne.
The Australian Ballet – 2023 London Tour, Royal Opera House, Wednesday 2 August – Saturday 5 August 2023. Tickets £4 – £115