After landing in Perth to prepare for the opening night of Graeme Murphy’s Swan Lake, David McAllister took time to breathe, see family and blog.
At times, going back to Perth has felt like mission-impossible. We have been trying to return for the last three years, and impediments surface at the most crucial time. But as I boarded the plane on Friday night it sunk in that this time all the stars were aligned. We were travelling west with our most successful production of the new millennium.
It has been a particularly great lead-up to this tour. The ballet centre was alive with Tchaikovsky as we revisited Graeme Murphy’s production of Swan Lake. We prepared the new casts that will be performing at Burswood Theatre alongside Phillip Adams’ creative development for Aviary, which saw three of our men working with BalletLab.
It was great to have BalletLab with us and the showing last Friday was fabulous. Their rehearsals were a closed affair, but the sounds were emanating from the studio – the dancers were singing a variety of Abba and Messiaen! Steve Reich echoed down the hall as we rehearsed Dyad 1929 and Rachmaninov sounded from the studio while Stephen Baynes revisited his wonderful ballet At the edge of night.
Apart from adjusting to the three-hour time change, a weekend at home in Perth with my family was bliss! I had a chance to spend time with my two budding ballerina nieces who scored the very latest ballet T-shirt. Family time is always at a premium so it was wonderful to just hang out and catch up.
Monday was day one of work and we were lucky enough to have some time at the wonderful West Australia Academy of Performing Arts studios. Thanks to Nanette Hassell, we were made so welcome and spent the morning ironing out the creases after the flight over the Nullarbor. After class Kitty Walker, myself and eight Swans flew the coop for a media call at Lake Monger where the ballet Swans got to mix with some local swans of the feathered variety. I must say the local swans took the adulation in their stride, preening and parading, while our ballerinas took photos on their mobile phones! Not so glamorous were the dancer’s soiled pointe shoes and damp tights from poising by the water*. The webbed-footed swans certainly had the advantage here!
We headed back to WAAPA and because the rehearsals went so smoothly we could give the dancers an early break and allow them a couple of hours to discover the joys of Perth. For me it was time to head home to Dad’s place and change before a cocktail party at the lovely Perth home of our Board Member Peter Smedley and his wife and fantastic supporter, Christine. It was so wonderful to spend the night with a group of ballet lovers who have supported the company over the years, even when we haven’t been able to come to Perth for some time. Looking out over the city of Perth reminded me just how lucky we are to live in this glorious country and how every corner of Australia has so much to offer.
Tuesday was our first day in the theatre. While our technical crew had been there for four days weaving their magic, it was time for the rest of the company to add the final element. It’s a great space and even though it’s a little different to other theatres we have performed in, the dancers quickly adjusted. Despite some initial hiccups, the technical rehearsal ran smoothly. There was more fun and champers with our local supporters before the curtain lifted on the last dress rehearsal and it was also our first chance to hear our orchestra of the season, the W.A. Philharmonic. Our Music Director and Chief Conductor Nicolette Fraillon had been here working with the orchestra and, as always, managed to bring this 70-strong orchestra of musicians up to speed with the Swan Lake score. While we have done this production every year for the past eight there are always new people introduced to the work, both on and off stage. In this rehearsal it was Kevin Jackson and Leanne Stojmenov’s chance to do their first run on stage with all the trimmings as the Prince and Odette. It was so great that our two West Australians will do their debuts in this production in front of their family and friends. No pressure!
So now it’s opening night and all the notes from the final rehearsals have been given, all the ‘chookas’ cards have been written and the opening night flowers and chocolates seem to arrive in ever-increasing abundance. I am sitting here controlling my nerves with this blog! I have no doubt the dancers will be wonderful. I keep thinking of all those young West Australian dancers who will see this production and be bitten by the ballet bug as I was when I saw my first ballet. Well, in my case it was certainly a love-bite and so far it’s been one hell of a ride!
Swan Lake runs until 25 October in Perth
*Please note, no new pointe shoes were harmed during the making of this media call!
A pleasurable insight into what our daughter does when she’s out and about with the Ballet
I’m curious (maybe this should go to “Ask Colin”?) as to the origins of the term “Chookas”… David says “all the ‘chookas’ cards have been written” and I’ve seen it mentioned in Dance Train and sometimes in newsletters from my daughter’s dance school, but (although I know it means something along the lines of “have fun!” or “good luck, “where did the term come from? Why is it used, and is it only used by dancers? (Come to think of it, does it have anything to do with “lame ducks” which has got to be one of the weirdest ballet terms ever!)
Hi there Jen,
This sounds like a question for Colin! Please stay tuned!
As my brother says – a pleasurable insight! And the view of Perth brings happy memories of my visit down under in 87..
I’ve lived in Perth all my living and am surprised by all of the new issues to find out. It truly is a wonderful town.