25 August 2010
By Behind Ballet
filed under Edge of night, From the studio
Since joining The Australian Ballet 15 years ago, Principal Artist Olivia Bell has performed many powerful lead roles: Clara’s dream ballerina the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, the warrior-like Flavia in Spartacus and the duplicitous Manon. After a short hiatus, Olivia returns to The Australian Ballet to perform the leading lady in red in Stephen Baynes’ At the edge of night. As she prepares for the role, Olivia shares some of her favourite performances to date.
The Nutcracker, Sugar Plum Fairy
Tchaikovsky’s score makes this magical ballet a favourite of mine. The Sugar Plum Fairy solo in act two is one of ballet’s most recognised pieces of music and, for me, epitomises the music of mystical dancing fairies. I have one particularly special memory of performing this role at the Sydney Opera House with my family in the audience as I was promoted to principal artist and presented flowers on stage by my husband, Nicholas. A moment I hold close to my heart.
Other Dances
This is a pas de deux choreographed by Jerome Robbins originally for Natalia Makarova and Mikhail Baryshnikov, two of my all-time favourite dancers. I was plucked from the corps de ballet to perform this ballet. It contains all the elements I love about dancing. The dance gradually builds up in intensity and technical complexity until it finally explodes in a flourish of fluid and luxurious movements. It also combines subtle Russian undertones that reflect my heritage. Read the rest of this entry »
13 August 2010
By Lydia Gibala
filed under Edge of night, From the studio
With his new work Halcyon premiering on the mainstage in less than a fortnight, Tim Harbour has made a seamless transition from the top ranks of The Australian Ballet to the role of fledgling choreographer. We chatted to Tim about Halcyon and how he balances the excitement and hard work involved in his courageous career shift.
How did you come up with the title for your piece and what is it about?
Halcyon is the name of the lead character in a Greek myth. She falls in love with a mortal and they anger the Gods. He is killed and she redeems his body by transforming into the Halcyon, a type of kingfisher.
You drew inspiration from a Greek mythological love story. Where else do you draw inspiration from?
While I was thinking and working on this ballet I turned to works by Martha Graham, for the way she told stories through strong theatrical choreography. I’ve often thought of Graeme Murphy for the same reason. I also read about the art of the playwright and the structure of plays. I also looked to the stage and costume designers, and I collected a gazillion images that helped us to formulate visual ideas. Read the rest of this entry »
26 July 2010
By Lydia Gibala
filed under Costume, Edge of night
Veteran costume designer Anna French continues to amaze us with her exquisite and, in the case of Molto Vivace, cheeky garments. We spoke to Anna about her collaboration with Stephen Baynes on Molto Vivace and she gave us some insight into the intricacies of costume design.
You’ve worked with Stephen Baynes before on 1914 and Requiem, both distinctly different to Molto Vivace. What most heavily influences the style of your designs?
I have designed the costumes for seven of Stephen Baynes’ ballets and they were all very different. Sometimes there was an established narrative, other times we were interpreting the nature of the music. My costume designs are influenced by the choreographer’s style, the choice of music, the size and nature of the performance space, the set design and the particular dancer who will be wearing the costume.
Do you watch many rehearsals prior to designing the costumes?
I try to watch as many as I can. It reinforces my connection with the choreography, allows me to visualise the costume in motion and realistically review the demands made of the garment. But, most of all, it allows you the privilege of witnessing the development of the choreography.
The music in Molto Vivace is by Handel who composed music around the 17th and 18th centuries, and yet the costumes are quite modern and funky. Can you talk about how Handel’s score fits with the costumes?
Stephen had a very particular attitude to the music which really influenced both the set and costume design. There was a formality on the surface of the music disguising a mad frivolity beneath. I tried to echo this in the costume designs in particular with the eclectic fabric choices, colours, and the silhouette. Read the rest of this entry »
12 July 2010
By Martyn Pedler
filed under Costume, Edge of night
Tim Harbour’s Halcyon began with a single image: a goddess, transformed into a bird, flying like an arrow into a storm. Tim enlisted designer Alexis George to recreate his visions on the ballet stage with a unique collection of danceable, period-style costumes. Martyn Pedler caught up with Alexis to talk about how she began designing costumes for the new ballet.
When Tim first told you the Halcyon story, did images immediately start to turn in your head?
It was actually quite immediate. Especially when the narrative is set in a particular time and place. Greek gods have such a striking visual image, so that was a really great starting point for me.
Tim said that he gathered a folder of images that inspired him during the initial stages of the creative process. Did he bring those to you as well?
Yes, that’s correct. He had a few paintings of the Halcyon goddess and her lover Ceyx. In particular, Tim liked the way the wind swirled the fabric, and the movement that was in the painting. Read the rest of this entry »
25 June 2010
By Behind Ballet
filed under Edge of night, From the studio
Stephen Baynes’ ballets are famously beautiful, often exploring themes of memory, love and loss. In the ’80s, Dame Peggy van Praagh encouraged the Adelaide-born dancer to flex his choreographic muscle. Today, Stephen is The Australian Ballet’s resident choreographer and has worked with companies worldwide. Edge of night features two beloved works by Stephen. In the first of two interviews, we chat to Stephen about Rachmaninov, writers’ block and his achingly romantic At the edge of night.
You’ve used the Rachmaninov score to inspire your choreography in At the edge of night. Does the choreography come before the music or the music before the choreography?
Never the choreography before the music. It’s usually a matter of finding a piece of music or knowing a piece of music. Apart from a couple of commissioned scores where there’s been an idea, and the music has been written after that idea, the music is always the primary motivation for the choreography.
If you could ask Rachmaninov one question, what would it be?
I’d ask him how personal his Preludes [the music used in At the edge of night] are to him. Are they autobiographical in any way? I’m sure that’s not something he’d let on! There’s a certain dialogue in them; each of them paint a little picture and set a mood. I sometimes think about the way music assists film – it does the same for choreography. So you imagine a scene, a story, a mood or an atmosphere in the music.
What are the kinds of feelings you want the dancers to communicate on stage?
Each of the Preludes are a little different. The ballet is very oblique, and very cryptic. It’s about a woman looking back on her past. But it’s left open for interpretation; I left it open deliberately. It’s mostly pas de deux, so they naturally have a romantic feel about them. One pas de deux features a dancer who’s an idyllic youth, in the bloom of first love. Another is parting. And another is just a memory. So they have their own stories. Read the rest of this entry »
15 June 2010
By Isabel Dunstan
filed under Edge of night, From the studio
Inspired by an ancient Greek myth, Tim Harbour’s brand-new ballet Halcyon explores weighty themes of life, death, pride, betrayal and transformation. We snuck into the studio recently to photograph rehearsals for Tim’s mainstage debut and caught up with him to find out how the work’s progressing.
Can you shed some light on Halcyon’s concept?
It’s based on a Greek myth. The allure of any Greek myth is that they’re always really simple. Even though this one is simple, it’s been a real challenge to get across the ideas in 25 minutes. As far as the narrative goes, it’ll be far more abstracted than Coppélia for example. Loads of imagery and symbolism; they’re the mechanisms I’ll be using to drive the story. Hopefully it’ll be an emotional drama.
Your work has never really been narrative-based. It’s always been quite poetic and abstract, correct?
Yeah, I’ve always tried to have a theme or some kind of poetic idea …
So why the change?
Ah, well, you’ve got to! This is a really big opportunity for me – it might be the only time I ever do something like this. I might as well try it. Even though this is a highly pressurised opportunity – a lot of people are going to see it; it’s The Australian Ballet, and there’s a lot of expectation – I do have the confidence of coming back to the dancers who I created my first choreographic works on. My time away has always been about coming back to this opportunity to try something bigger. So I’m confident in my Read the rest of this entry »
16 September 2009
By Isabel Dunstan
filed under 2010, Edge of night
Tim Harbour has been met with countless successes, and won countless hearts, during his creative journey. He made his choreographic debut with Sunken Waltz for the Bodytorque season of 2005, and in 2007 he changed gears by retiring from dance – after 13 years – to focus wholeheartedly on his choreographic career. Tim has only risen since. After choreographing works for The Dancers Company, Christopher Wheeldon’s Morphoses in New York, The Queensland Ballet and West Australian Ballet, Tim will make his debut on The Australian Ballet’s mainstage in 2010 with a work called Halcyon.
Tim’s work has been praised for its lightness, fluidity and poetic undertones. His breathtaking work, Wa, for Bodytorque received particularly glowing praise, with The Australian writing: “the very air quivered with a multitude of meanings … Harbour is a thoughtful and articulate man who can translate ideas and emotions into movement with clarity. He clearly understands music too.”
Halycon will be performed alongside two works by fellow choreographer Stephen Baynes for the triple bill Edge of night. Tim talked to us about taking the path to the mainstage.
Will your work lean toward classical ballet, or will it have a contemporary edge?
This is always hard to define because ‘classical’ or ‘contemporary’ are relative terms. To me most of what I do feels quite classical. I’d like to think that I stay open to using whatever physicality is going to appear most expressive but to qualify that movement with the form and structures often associated with classical ballet.
How did Bodytorque equip you with the confidence and inspiration to become the choreographer you are today?
Bodytorque was tremendous both because it had limitations and luxury; limitations in terms of the short rehearsals, and no budget for a design component. All expression and atmosphere had to be conjured purely via steps. And luxurious because you are choreographing on some of the best dancers in the country.
How did your work for The Dancer’s Company Songs of Light represent your style?
I hope that every piece I make has a few beautiful poetic moments and I think Songs of Light was successful in this way. I don’t always achieve this but it’s not for lack of trying!
Edge of night plays in Melbourne from 26 August – 4 September and Sydney from 11- 29 November
Subscription packages for The Australian Ballet’s 2010 season are on sale now
Artists of The Dancers Company in Tim Harbour’s Songs of Light. Photography Jess Bialek
