Six decades of ballet in just one night

Always shied away from the ballet because they seem, well, rather long? Watch this show and you’ll be a convert, writes Phil Brown.

Never been to the ballet? Go on, admit it.

Here’s the thing - I can recommend a show for you that will bring you up to speed while it gives you a cavalcade of the last 60 years of our state company.

In one night?

Pretty well. Queensland Ballet’s 60th Anniversary Gala at the Playhouse, QPAC, is perfect for everyone, even those with short attention spans ... like me.

Having a series of shorter works (and one long one at the end) makes it all quite acceptable - and enjoyable! - and two intervals helps break up the evening.

And even though I normally eschew anything over two hours long, this one, at three hours, just whizzed by.

Dancers at the Queensland Ballet 60th Anniversary Gala.

Last night’s opening night began with a grand defile, massing the entire company on stage and they did a little dance to introduce themselves and that was all choreographed by Paul Boyd.

Then there was a speech by artistic director Li Cunxin who very generously paid tribute to the four great artistic directors who preceded him - the company’s founder Charles Lisner, Harry Haythorne and the long serving Harold Collins and Francois Klaus who was in the audience for the performance along with Charles Lisner’s widow Valerie.

It was good of Li to praise them and he said he stood “on the shoulders of giants” which was nice.

The next performer was the Premier but she didn’t dance. She did, however, pay tribute to our state company and kept her remarks short, bless her.

Then we got a video in which 60 years went by in a flash and then we had a series of works drawn from the company’s repertoire over those decades.

Mia Heathcote and Victor Estevez perform at the Queensland Ballet 60th Anniversary Gala.

It began with Charles Lisner’s Chopin Pas de Deux, which was exquisite.

That was followed by Francois Klaus’s wonderful Cloudland, a tribute to Brisbane’s past and a much-loved lost venue. This work featured everyone’s favourite dancer Mia Heathcote and Victor Estevez. They performed beautifully.

Heathcote is a standout and has such a warm and lovely stage presence and a sense of grace and theatricality, and a true ballerina needs all that.

Then came Carmina Burana - Tavern Scene, a muscular piece that seems more contemporary dance than ballet. It features blokes only and it’s a bit too macho for me and a tad weird but everyone else seemed to enjoy it. Go figure.

Queensland Ballet 60th Anniversary Gala.

In a program as diverse as this one you will have favourites and some pieces you are less attracted to and that’s all part of the rich tapestry of this special evening at the ballet.

Lady of the Camellias - Pas de Deux was also lovely and it was followed by what was really the highlight as far as pure ballet beauty and excellence is concerned, Don Quixote - Wedding Pas de Deux, danced on opening night by Neneka Yoshida who was just gorgeous, accompanied by Camilo Ramos. This pair blew us away with the beauty of their performance.

Neneka Yoshida and Camilo Ramos shone in an excerpt from Don Quixote at Queensland Ballet’s 60th Anniversary Gala.

That was followed by another Klaus work reminding us all what a fine choreographer he was - an excerpt from his The Little Mermaid.

For the finale it was a longer piece, Etudes, choreographed in 1948 by Harald Lander.

This is the first time Queensland Ballet has ever done this piece and like a musical etude this dance work demonstrates what the dancers can do and shows them limbering up and then letting loose. It’s like an education in classical ballet really and it featured some outstanding dancing and some very visually arresting moments.

Queensland Ballet 60th Anniversary Gala.

All this to the strains of Camerata - Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra, conducted beautifully by Nigel Gaynor.

Everyone who was anyone was there for opening night last night and as well as the Premier Arts Minister Leeanne Enoch was on hand along with pollies of various shades and a full house that marks the return of Queensland Ballet to the main stage. What a way to begin season 2021!

Queensland Ballet’s 60th Anniversary Gala is on in the Playhouse, QPAC, until March 20.