THE DANCERS COMPANY ballet drew a crowd of first-timers at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre (IPAC) last weekend. The audience bustled excitedly with aspiring ballerinas, regular IPAC attendees, families, school groups and many first time ballet goers. It wasn’t just the audience either – for many of the cast members, this is their first touring performance.
THE DANCERS COMPANY is an annual show by The Australian Ballet that tours regional New South Wales and Victoria, starring guest artists and graduating students from The Australian Ballet School. This year, the show presents a classical triple-bill of intensely talented dancers that, either by incident or design, seem to be free of the prestige and sense of elitism that is often associated with traditional ballet.
The space was cosy and intimate. It was the first time at a ballet that I have been close enough to witness the sheen of sweat across a dancer’s back, or the slight quiver of their muscles fighting to maintain seemingly effortless poise while holding deceivingly painful positions. For me, this only enhanced the reality of the performance; in ballet, arguably more so than any other artform, flawlessness is valued so highly that it becomes easy for audiences to overlook the complexity and dedication it took to get there. It is a show of real dancers, raw talent and their commitment to perfecting their craft.
The show educates audiences on the breadth and beauty of ballet, fusing together three 35-minute performances that showcase classical ballet, as well as a taste of contemporary choreography.
A hilariously mischievous act is sandwiched in between two Marius Petipa classics, Paquita and Swan Lake (Act III). Breaking up the classicism of the outer dances, Rimbombo is a comical rumble of jostling men who epitomise the masculine urge to compete for fame, wealth and supremacy. Led by an all-male cast of charismatic dancers, the innovative choreography and expressive faces of Rimbombo made it by far the stand-out performance.
After a second 20 minute intermission, THE DANCERS COMPANY tie off their performance with a traditional version of the well-known Petipa/Ivanov composition,Swan Lake (Act III). For many it is the pinnacle of romantic ballet: a devastating story of inevitably doomed love, told against the iconic soundtrack of Piotr Tchaikovsky.
Led by two exquisite Australian Ballet veterans, Christiano Martino and Benedicte Bemet, the other dancers were at times overshadowed by their sheer craft. Nonetheless, the elegant synchronicity and interspersed, solo appearances of the cast showed off their burgeoning talent. The whole act, however, was heightened by the onstage antics of a crown jester, whose charisma and charm was absolutely infectious.
The cultural diversity of the cast was refreshing to see as well as the range of body shapes and sizes– albeit all very fit ones- aligning with the Australian Ballet Company’s mantra.
THE DANCERS COMPANY 2015 is not the most technically refined ballet I have seen, nor is it in any way a masterpiece. However, it is by far the most accessible and fulfilling ballet in (and regionally around) town. It’s a ballet that will welcome people of all walks of life and be enjoyed by all. It’s an authentic and candid display of the spectacular skill that has come out of The Australian Ballet this year.
The Company’s regional tour came to the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre for three performance only between the 31st July and 1st August. The show still has a number of dates left in regional New South Wales before it heads to Victoria. Ticket prices range from $39 to $82 and are available on the Australian Ballet website- http://www.australianballet.com.au/thedancerscompany.