Australian Ballet emerges from lockdown exquisite as ever

The Australian Ballet has returned to the stage after a year in lockdown. And the company was primed and powerful.

Chengwu Guo and Ako Kondo performing an excerpt from Don Quixote at Summertime at the Ballet. Picture: Jeff Busby

Summertime at the Ballet

Margaret Court Arena, until 28 February

Reviewer: Stephanie Glickman

****1/2 Stars

Consistent work in lockdown has paid off for the Australian Ballet.

After a nearly a year without live dance performances, comeback excitement filled the air at Friday night’s opening of Summertime at the Ballet .

Maybe it’s all their isolation training or the elation of being in front of audiences again — the Australian Ballet looked as exquisite as ever in an unconventional arena showcase sampling from the company’s diverse repertoire.

A departure from the formality of the State Theatre and the bells and whistles of full-length ballets, the production was an eclectic mix of excerpts, from the popular white-tutu’ed geometries of La Bayadere to bare chested gladiators jousting in Spartacus.

An excerpt from Spartacus, performed by the Australian Ballet, at Summertime at the Ballet. Picture: Jeff Busby

Margaret Court Arena is not a particularly intimate space for dance, but once inside, the venue worked to advantage.

With no wings, no set and pared-back lighting (by Jon Buswell), the attention laid purely in the physicality of the human forms.

Other than in some costumes, the usual stylings of ballet were stripped away. The dance, clean and simple, without theatrical distractions, was the focus.

Dancers even warmed up in the space pre-show and at interval (a convention sometimes seen in contemporary dance, but not usually ballet), exposing their preparation.

Perched on a stage of their own that hovers over the floor, Orchestra Victoria accompanied the dancers from above (rather than below from a pit).

The musicians, conducted by Nicolette Fraillon, sustained a huge presence in the production, reminding audiences of the magnitude and machinations of live ballet music.

An excerpt of The Merry Widow, featuring Amber Scott and artists of the Australian Ballet, at Summertime at the Ballet. Picture: Jeff Busby

With mostly all hits in the wide-ranging offerings, Friday night highlights included power couple Ako Kondo and Chengwu Guo’s gusty interpretation of the Don Quixote pas de deux. Robyn Hendricks and Callum Linnane were also stunning in the Tschaikovsky pas de deux and the regal patterns of George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations created an opulent group finish, especially with Benedicte Bemet and Brett Chynoweth in the star coupling.

Grandness and simplicity hit a sweet spot in this accessible show that revealed The Australian Ballet dancers in a new and vulnerable light.

They emerged brilliantly, ready to take on their next evolution under new artistic director David Hallberg.