Tutus on top of the world

Our intrepid publicist Eli Wallis reports from THAT Sydney Opera House shoot.

In a moment between shots Amber Scott and Patrick Thaiday look at each other, bewildered and excited, as if to say “How did we find ourselves perched 180 metres in the air, on top of the Sydney Opera House?”

Dancers are often asked to push the limits, physically and emotionally. From the rehearsal studio to the stage, a dancer’s day is one of balanced discipline and adrenalin. So it was no surprise that our Principal Artist Amber Scott and Bangarra Dance Theatre artist Patrick Thaiday leapt at the chance to climb the Sydney Opera House (SOH) sails for a photo to celebrate the beginning of The Australian Ballet’s 50th anniversary year.

A lot of planning went into bringing the beautiful vision to life. Three weeks out from the shoot, Ballet and SOH staff shared ideas of how it could be achieved. Having lived and breathed the ‘House’ for over 20 years, our SOH staff leader knows the tunnels, ladders, hidden doors and hatches that lead to the sails like the back of his hand. We were warned that the “sail climb” is not for the faint-hearted (or the claustrophobic, or anyone afraid of heights) and would require elaborate safety equipment.

The safety rail on top of the sail is only two feet high, so full arrest harnesses are a  must for anyone climbing to the roof. Our next challenge was finding a harness fit for a ballerina, as the smallest harness available was far too large for Amber. Once we had an extra-small harness, sourced from the experts at Showtech, a wardrobe fitting revealed our next hurdle: the harness swallowed Amber whole. Fortunately our creative wardrobe department was able to pull apart and re-build a classic white tutu that almost entirely covered the bulky straps and buckles of the harness. The wardrobe team had woven its magic once again! Patrick Thaiday’s harness was also customised and we were ready to go.

When the day of the shoot dawns, capricious Sydney is true to her nature and a light shower descends over the harbour as we arrive at SOH. However, by the time everyone has their harness fitted and we’ve had a safety briefing, the clouds have parted to reveal a stunning, sunny Sydney morning.

News photographers are used to enviable shoots, but the photographers from the Daily Telegraph and Sydney Morning Herald assure us this is a particularly special opportunity. The world’s most famous white sails have been visited by many people over the years, as you can see by the names and dates written on the wall above the main sail’s tunnel entrance, but SOH tells us this is the first time there have been photographs shot from two sails simultaneously.

With two safety officers guiding each team we make our way up the inside of the theatres through “the gods” and into the sail ceiling. Stairs lead to ladders, which lead to narrow passages, which lead to a small tunnel. One by one we crawl through the tunnel avoiding electrical conduits, drains and the odd bit of water. At one point we can stand up and see the end of the sail through the hatch. The pristine white tiles (they’re cunningly engineered so that the rain cleans them) stretch out before us like the white top of a breaking wave into the harbour below.

Dropping back into the tunnel, we crawl the final stretch to the main hatch. Jeans off, tutu and costumes on. Harnesses connect to the main safety line on the roof and we are ready to go. Patrick, Amber and photographer Jess Bialek pull themselves up through the hatch and emerge on top of the world. It is quiet, so quiet, but there is a light breeze that lifts the ends of Amber’s costume into the air. She looks like a dove landing lightly on the edge of the sail.

Perched on the very edge, Amber and Patrick pose, positioning themselves out towards the heads of the harbour. From the opposite sail the photographers instruct them through walkie-talkies: “Move closer together”, “Hold the fabric up”, “Look towards the Harbour Bridge”. The early morning sun hits the tiles and Amber and Patrick light up, the glistening sail falling away beneath them like a dramatic, architectural skirt.

After an hour on the sail we make our way back through the tunnel. Grinning, hearts still pounding, we pause at the entrance to add our names to those who have visited the majestic sail before us. Back on solid ground, we compare pictures. Yes, it was as beautiful up there as it felt. Rushing to the airport for the first day of rehearsals in Melbourne the next morning, Amber and Patrick farewell SOH until their next return (in April, for the Infinity program). They will never look at the House quite the same way again. It’s been a magical start to what promises to be a year of highs.

The artists of The Australian Ballet and Bangarra Dance Theatre will appear at the Sydney Opera House (underneath the sail, this time) in the Infinity program. Tickets for the Sydney season will be on sale 3 February. Tickets for the world premiere Melbourne season are on sale now.

Stephen Page talks about Warumuk – in the dark night, the work he is making for Infinity on The Australian Ballet and Bangarra Dance Theatre.