The Australian Ballet is officially back. After a year of cancelled performances that had many of us wiping away tears with our Romeo and Juliet tickets, the ballet company has announced its 2022 season signalling its return to the stage. And not a moment too soon.
David Hallberg - Artistic Director at The Australia Ballet - has cut the figurative ribbon and opened the season saying, "My second season as Artistic Director of the Australian Ballet is presented with an unwavering belief: there is a great power in performance, even in the most challenging of times."
"With pride, our dancers will return to the stage, where they will show you that their commitment to this art form is stronger than ever before".
Since inception, Van Cleef & Arpel’s has been a devotee of dance and the arts. As part of its commitment to the art of dance, the Maison has recently announced an extended partnership with The Australian Ballet as Official Jewelry Partner. As such, Van Cleef & Arpels sponsors Bodytorque.
What's in store for us this season? Considering that the highly-anticipated ballet epics, Anna Karenina and Romeo and Juliet, were unable to go ahead as planned this year, due to, well, you know already, they have both been rescheduled to fit into the 2022 program. Alongside these classic productions are a slate of bold, contemporary works from overseas and right here in Australia. They include Harlequinade, a joyful commedia dell’arte that will be exclusively performed in Melbourne, as well as Adelaide exclusive Counterpointe.
Keep your eyes peeled for Kunstkamer too. David Hallberg has dubbed it "one of the most ambitious contemporary dance productions ever to appear in the company’s repertoire" and for good reason. It's the love child of four of the most in-demand choreographers from Nederlands Dans Theater and this will mark the first time another company has performed it. And if you're still ravenous for more ballet performances, don't look past Instruments of Dance. It's the physical manifestation of a conversation between 21st century dance and music.
Find the 2022 Australian Ballet program, below.
Anna Karenina
Melbourne
25 February – 9 March 2022
Arts Centre Melbourne
State Theatre with Orchestra Victoria
Sydney
5 – 23 April 2022
Sydney Opera House
Joan Sutherland Theatre with Opera Australia Orchestra
Kunstkamer
Sydney
29 April – 14 May 2022
Sydney Opera House
Joan Sutherland Theatre with Opera Australia Orchestra
Melbourne
3 – 11 June 2022
Arts Centre Melbourne
State Theatre with Orchestra Victoria
Harlequinade
Melbourne
17 – 25 June 2022
Arts Centre Melbourne
State Theatre with Orchestra Victoria
Counterpointe
Adelaide
7 – 13 July 2022
Adelaide Festival Centre
Her Majesty's Theatre with Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
Instruments of Dance
23 September – 1 October 2022
Arts Centre Melbourne
State Theatre with Orchestra Victoria
Sydney
10 – 26 November 2022
Sydney Opera House
Joan Sutherland Theatre
Romeo and Juliet
Melbourne
7 – 18 October 2022
Arts Centre Melbourne
State Theatre with Orchestra Victoria
Sydney
1 – 21 December 2022
Sydney Opera House
Joan Sutherland Theatre with Opera Australia Orchestra
Tickets and season packages for 2022 performances in Melbourne and Sydney are available to purchase from October 27, at 12.01 am on the Australian Ballet website. A night at the ballet is not so out of reach after all.
