Under the Milky Way, beside the sea: The Australian Ballet heads north to Pas de Deux in Paradise

07 Oct 2014

Artists of The Australian Ballet will be travelling to Hamilton Island in October to dance underneath the stars against one of Australia’s most idyllic backdrops, the Whitsundays and the Coral Sea. 
Five of the company’s leading dancers will perform in an exclusive outdoor performance, Pas de Deux in Paradise, at the luxury resort qualia, located on the northernmost point of Hamilton Island. 
The event, to be held from 31 October to 2 November, will be hosted by the company’s Artistic Director David McAllister AM.
David says that qualia is the perfect picturesque location to be performing in so soon after announcing the company’s 2015 season. 

“Next year The Australian Ballet celebrates beauty, athleticism and the iconic Australian experience – and no place connects these themes more superbly than the expansive oceans, white beaches and open skies of Hamilton Island.

After touring to Los Angeles and Berkeley earlier this month, we will be excited to perform four special works back on home soil including a newly unveiled work by Resident Choreographer Tim Harbour,” McAllister said. 

Principal Artists Madeleine Eastoe, Daniel Gaudiello, Andrew Killian and Ty King-Wall will be joined by Soloist Robyn Hendricks to perform excerpts from four of The Australian Ballet’s contemporary favourites.

The works:

Ostinato
Ostinato is a newly created work by Resident Choreographer Tim Harbour. It will have its world premiere in New York City earlier in October at the Fall for Dance Festival. Set to Bill Evans’ 1958 Peace Piece, the work reflects the social and sexual politics of this generation of performers.

Art to Sky
Choreographed by Stephen Baynes in 2014, Art to Sky takes inspiration from one of Tchaikovsky’s lesser-known scores, Mozartiana – a loving-tribute to Tchaikovsky’s idol Mozart, written for the centenary of Don Giovanni. Uncluttered by narrative, the dancers use movement to allude to the worlds that Tchaikovsky’s music evokes.

Halcyon
Created for The Australian Ballet by Tim Harbour in 2010, Halcyon is based on the Greek myth about the beautiful goddess Halcyon, who falls in love with a mortal man, Ceyx.

Swan Lake
This excerpt from Stephen Baynes’ critically acclaimed version of Swan Lake is one of the most iconic and thrilling moments of the production, performed by Soloist Robyn Hendricks.

For all media enquiries, including interviews and images, please contact: 

Chloe Gordon, Publicist, The Australian Ballet 
P: (03) 9669 2771 E: chloeg@australianballet.com.au

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Media contact 
Email: pr@hamiltonisland.com.au