Why Queensland Ballet is the hottest ticket in town

With the state’s top ballet company packing out Brisbane theatres with each and every show, their upcoming season promises to be their biggest and best yet — including an exclusive world premiere from one of America’s top choreographers.

ATTRACTING new fans is all part of the mission for Queensland Ballet’s artistic director Li Cunxin.

The world famous former dancer and best selling author (his memoir Mao’s Last Dancer was also a Hollywood film) has turned the state ballet company into the hottest ticket in town.

QB’s last show, the ultra sexy Dangerous Liaisons, packed them in and Li is banking on The Masters Series, which opens at the Playhouse, QPAC, tonight (Friday May 17) to do the same.

Cleverly crafted for those of us with short attention spans the program features a trio of shortish ballets.

“It’s very dynamic and offers a wide spectrum of ballet,” Li says. “And people will be really moved by Jiri Kylian’s Soldier’s Mass which features just male dancers. It draws parallels between the male dominated theatre of war and a dancer’s world.”

Soloist Georgia Swan (Soloist) and Jack Lister from Queensland Ballet. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Also on the bill is the beautiful Serenade by George Balanchine, set to the music of Tchaikovsky and then there’s a new work by American choreographer Trey McIntyre who worked with the company on Peter Pan.

McIntyre’s work is called The Shadows Behind Us and is set to the music of American jazz vocalist Jimmy Scott.

The Brisbane season is the world premiere and McIntyre jetted in from the US to prepare it.

All in all it will be a treat for ballet fans and it is hoped that it will turn people on to ballet in the same way Dangerous Liaisons did.

“More than 20 per cent of the audience for Dangerous Liaisons were new to ballet,” Li says. “Many of them had never even been to QPAC before.”

So something’s working. You have until May 25 to find out what that is.

queenslandballet.com.au