At the northernmost point of Hamilton Island is qualia, a resort where the sun shines, the waters are crystal-clear and yachts can be spotted from the shore. A small group from The Australian Ballet were lucky enough to travel to qualia last weekend for a very special event – Pas De Deux in Paradise – where guests were treated to a three-course dinner, a Q&A session with dancers, and an exclusive outdoor performance. With the Whitsundays as their backdrop, dancers performed pas de deux from beloved ballets Nutcracker – The Story of Clara, Swan Lake, After the Rain © and El Tango. Donna Demaio witnessed the magic.

Principal Artist Rachel Rawlins declares, “Success is the best revenge,” revealing that as a ten year old she was told: “you’re too short to be a dancer”.

Rachel’s revelation during a scheduled Q&A session opens the floodgates to a stream of anecdotes at Hamilton Island’s qualia resort on the eve of the spectacular Pas De Deux in Paradise, a showcase of some of the most beautiful classic and contemporary pas de deux in a unique and breathtaking outdoor setting.

Rachel wasn’t the only one sharing thoughts, fears and aspirations with a captivated crowd that listened while devouring a divine dinner of smoked mackerel, lamb loin and layered Valrhona chocolate with caramel candied almonds. Principal Artists Lucinda Dunn and Robert Curran and Senior Artist Andrew Killian were also fielding questions, perched on stools at the resort’s Long Pavilion restaurant.

Lipstick, perfume and a Tic Tac are Lucinda’s three pre-performance must-haves. Andrew describes the painstaking hours spent pinning up his shoulder-length hair before each performance for five years. “Since I’ve cut it, better roles have come along,” he grins. Read the rest of this entry »