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50th Anniversary New York Season

Company:
The Australian Ballet

THE AUSTRALIAN BALLET 50th ANNIVERSARY NEW YORK SEASON

First NY Performances in 13 Features Four North American Premieres June 12 – 17, 2012 at Lincoln Center

The Australian Ballet, celebrating its 50th-anniversary, will present two programs featuring four North American premieres at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, June 12 – 17, 2012. The company will return to NYC after more than a decade-long absence as part of its celebration. Both programs will be led by Music Director and Chief Conductor of The Australian Ballet, Nicolette Fraillon, with live orchestra

The engagement opens on June 12 and 13 with Infinity, an all-Australian triple bill. First up is Luminous, a multimedia retrospective coupled with a diverse selection of pas de deux that will showcase the company’s rich history, followed by Wayne McGregor’s Dyad 1929 (created on The Australian Ballet’s dancers in 2009). The final piece, Warumuk – in the dark night, is a new work in collaboration with Indigenous dance company Bangarra Dance Theatre, choreographed by Bangarra’s artistic director Stephen Page and featuring a mix of dancers from The Australian Ballet and Bangarra Dance Theatre.

Program II, on June 15, 16 and 17, features the North American premiere of Graeme Murphy’s critically acclaimed Swan Lake, A perfect illustration of the company’s innovative and dynamic style.

Swan Lake has won more than ten major awards and sold out theatres at home and around the world.

Preview The Australian Ballet Tour

Artistic Director David McAllister is thrilled to be bringing the company back to New York with a stellar repertoire that showcases the dancers’ strength and artistry.
“In our 50th anniversary year, we are in peak form and this is an amazing opportunity to see the company perform stunning works which have defined and shaped us. This is our eighth tour of the United States, and we love performing there,” said McAllister. “These works are all unique to The Australian Ballet and I can’t wait to share them with American audiences for the very first time.”

On the company’s last visit in 1999, the New York Times applauded the “sleekness, clarity and modern spirit” of the dancers, a tour that included the Bangarra collaboration Rites. In 2012, the company will be travelling to New York with a touring party of 120 members. The dancers will be joined by artistic, technical, wardrobe, medical and music staff. More than 650 costumes and 250 pairs of pointe shoes will travel 16,500 kilometres to reach their destination.