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43-682: The Australian Ballet ( TAB ) is the largest classical ballet company in Australia. It was founded by J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust in 1962, with the English-born dancer, teacher, repetiteur and director Dame Peggy van Praagh as founding artistic director. Today, it is recognised as one of the world's major international ballet companies and performs upwards of 150 performances (both in Australia and overseas)

86-436: A unitard — a one-piece garment that combines tights and a leotard — to enhance the visibility of artistic lines. All dancers wear soft ballet shoes (sometimes called flats ). Typically, female dancers wear pink or beige shoes and men wear black or white shoes. Leg warmers are sometimes worn during the early part of a class to protect leg muscles until they become warm. Females are usually required to restrain their hair in

129-785: A TAB production), by Wiradjuri choreographer Daniel Riley of ADT ; and Paragon , by resident choreographer Alice Topp. While The Hum represents Indigenous dance, Paragon focuses on the history of The Australian Ballet. Dancers with The Australian Ballet are: Following a period of turmoil, Orchestra Victoria became a wholly owned subsidiarity of The Australian Ballet in July 2014 Classical ballet There are stylistic variations related to an area or origin, which are denoted by classifications such as Russian ballet , French ballet , British ballet and Italian ballet . For example, Russian ballet features high extensions and dynamic turns, whereas Italian ballet tends to be more grounded, with

172-585: A ballet school in Melbourne in 1939, out of which he developed a performance group which became the Borovansky Ballet. The company was supported and funded by J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd from 1944. Following Borovansky's death in 1959, the British dancer and administrator Dame Peggy van Praagh was invited to become artistic director of the company. J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd decided to disband

215-402: A bun or some other hair style that exposes the neck that is not a ponytail. The customary attire and hair style are intended to promote freedom of movement and to reveal body form so that the teacher can evaluate dancers' alignment and technique. After warming up, advanced female students may wear pointe shoes whereas advanced male students continue to wear soft shoes. Pointe shoes are worn after

258-435: A dance teacher and a dance musician is vital to the success of a ballet class. Female attire typically includes pink or flesh colored tights , a leotard , and sometimes a short wrap- skirt , or a skirted leotard . Males typically wear black or dark tights, a form-fitting white, or black, shirt or leotard worn under the tights, and a dance belt beneath the outer dancewear to provide support. In some cases, students may wear

301-746: A focus on fast, intricate footwork. Many of the stylistic variations are associated with specific training methods that have been named after their originators. Despite these variations, the performance and vocabulary of classical ballet are largely consistent throughout the world. Ballet originated in the Italian Renaissance courts and was brought to France by Catherine de' Medici in the 16th century. During ballet's infancy, court ballets were performed by aristocratic amateurs rather than professional dancers. Most of ballet's early movements evolved from social court dances and prominently featured stage patterns rather than formal ballet technique. In

344-635: A former dancer with the Covent Garden Russian Ballet, as the company's first ballet teacher. In later years Sir Robert Helpmann , Marilyn Jones and Maina Gielgud made major contributions as artistic directors of the Australian Ballet. In 1964, the first fully Australian performance, Helpmann's The Display was performed. In the same year, van Praagh established the Australian Ballet School , which

387-427: A musical improvisation to support the dancers in the exercise. The dancers are affected by the musician's choices, and they integrate both the ballet teacher's steps and the ballet musician's music into their performance. Ultimately, the ballet teacher has little control over the musical portion of their lesson unless they ask the musician to play a specific piece of music. For this reason, the working relationship between

430-452: A picnic in the bush. In 1992, Clara , an adaptation of The Nutcracker by choreographer Graeme Murphy , was a significant work, as he turned it into a story about migration to Australia. In 1997, TAB commissioned Stephen Page , artistic director of Indigenous dance company Bangarra Dance Theatre , to choreograph a piece for dancers from both companies, which resulted in Rites , which

473-485: A retainer by J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd through the intervening year between the disbanding of the Borovansky Ballet and the establishment of the Australian Ballet, was invited to become the founding artistic director of the company. The majority of the dancers employed by the fledgling company were drawn from former members of the Borovansky Ballet. The company was founded with a charter to use Australian choreographers and produce Australian work. The first performance by

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516-472: A unique training system. Some classical ballet training systems employ standardized layouts to define reference locations at the corners, and edges of stages, and dance studio rooms. In the latter case, there is no audience and a mirror typically spans the downstage wall of the room (e.g., points 1-2 of the Cecchetti layout). Primrose Potter Primrose Potter, Lady Potter AC (born 23 April 1931)

559-610: A year. The roots of the Australian Ballet can be found in the Borovansky Ballet , a touring repertory company founded in 1940 by the Czech dancer Edouard Borovansky . Borovansky had been a dancer in the touring ballet company of the famous Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova and, after visiting Australia on tour with the Covent Garden Russian Ballet , he decided to remain in Australia, establishing

602-430: Is Jonathan Lo, replacing Nicolette Fraillon , the world's only woman chief conductor of a ballet company. The Australian Ballet has five levels within the company. They are (in ascending order): corps de ballet , coryphée, soloist , senior artist, and principal dancer . The Telstra Ballet Dancer Awards have been made annually since 2003, in support of the aspirations of The Australian Ballet's elite young dancers. It

645-578: Is an Australian philanthropist and arts administrator. She is particularly associated with The Australian Ballet . She is the widow of Sir Ian Potter . Primrose Catherine Anderson-Stuart was born in Sydney in 1931, the daughter of a radiologist, Bouviere Anderson-Stuart. Her grandfather was Sir Thomas Peter Anderson Stuart , who established the Medical School at the University of Sydney . She

688-852: Is based in Melbourne ; its Southbank headquarters is the Primrose Potter Australian Ballet Centre, named after its long-term supporter Lady (Primrose) Potter . The company tours to mainland state capital cities within Australia, with annual seasons in Melbourne at the State Theatre (accompanied by Orchestra Victoria ) and in Sydney at the Sydney Opera House accompanied by the Opera Australia Orchestra . Other venues are

731-476: Is considered to be one of the greatest choreographers of all time) took Romantic ballet and combined it with different aspects of Russian ballet technique (as Petipa was once a choreographer and ballet master at Mariinsky Ballet ). Elements pulled from these things include the storytelling found in Romantic ballet, and the athleticism of Russian technique. Therefore, a new era of ballet, which later became known as

774-601: Is placed on developing flexibility and strengthening the legs, feet, and body core (the center , or abdominals) as a strong core is essential for turns and many other ballet movements. Dancers also learn to use their spot which teaches them to focus on something while turning so as not to become dizzy and lose their balance. Early ballet training for all dancers involves basic technique and develops strength and flexibility. As they progress, female dancers begin to learn pointe technique and both male and female dancers begin to learn partnering and more advanced jumps and turns. As

817-571: Is the biggest prize available specifically to a dancer in Australia, with a cash prize of $ 20,000 to the winner. The Telstra People's Choice Award is made to the most popular of the nominees in that year, using internet and SMS voting. The winner of the People's Choice receives a cash prize of $ 5,000. In 1964, Robert Helpmann 's work The Display was the first TAB production in which the music, designer, theme, and choreographer were all Australian; included were Australian rules football , lyrebirds , and

860-879: The Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust 1989 to 1991; director of the Bell Shakespeare company 1990 to 1991; trustee of American Friends of the National Gallery of Australia since 1989; national president of the Australian Ballet Special Events Committee 1993; member of the Howard Florey Institute ; member of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research ; director of the Ian Potter Museum of Art from 1999; and life governor of

903-897: The Ian Potter Foundation . She was founding honorary patron of the Melba Foundation, founding patron of the Victorian Opera company, and patron of the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art . She is currently patron-in-chief of the Solomon Foundation, a charity that supports various social development projects in the Solomon Islands . She has also raised funds for The Smith Family , the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul , and

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946-715: The Vaganova method (created by Agrippina Vaganova ) and the Legat Method (by Nikolai Legat ). The Cecchetti method is named after Italian dancer Enrico Cecchetti . Another training system was developed by and named after August Bournonville ; this is taught primarily in Denmark. The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) method was not created by an individual, but by a group of notable ballet professionals. Despite their associations with geographically named ballet styles, many of these training methods are used worldwide. For example,

989-582: The 17th century, as ballet's popularity in France increased, ballet began to gradually transform into a professional art. It was no longer performed by amateurs, but instead ballet performances started to incorporate challenging acrobatic movements that could only be performed by highly skilled street entertainers. In response, the world's first ballet school, the Académie Royale de Danse , was established by King Louis XIV in 1661. The Academie's purpose

1032-586: The Australian Ballet was Tchaikovsky 's Swan Lake , staged at Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney on 2 November 1962. The principal dancers in the first season were Kathleen Gorham , Marilyn Jones , Garth Welch , and the Swedish-born Caj Selling  [ sv ] (1935–2005). Van Praagh also invited the Royal Ballet 's Ray Powell to temporarily become the company's first ballet master, with Leon Kellaway (brother of Cecil Kellaway ),

1075-482: The Borovansky Ballet in 1961. In 1961, J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust received federal subsidy towards the establishment of a national ballet company. These organisations established the Australian Ballet Foundation to assist with the establishment of a new company, which in 1962 became the Australian Ballet. Peggy van Praagh, who had been kept on

1118-829: The Lyric Theatre at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre in Brisbane , and the Adelaide Festival Centre in Adelaide . The company also tours internationally. The Australian Ballet works in close cooperation with the Australian Ballet School, of which many of the company's dancers are graduates. Giving approximately 200 performances a year, the Australian Ballet claims to be the busiest ballet company in

1161-564: The RAD teaching method is used in more than 70 countries. American-style ballet ( Balanchine ) is not taught by means of a standardized, widespread training system. Similarly, French ballet has no standard training system; each of the major French-style ballet schools, such as the Paris Opera Ballet School , Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse , and Académie de Danse Classique Princesse Grace (Monaco) employs

1204-692: The Victorian AIDS Council (VAC). In the 1988 Queen's Birthday Honours , Lady Potter was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for service to the arts and the community. In 2003 she was promoted to Companion of the Order (AC) for leadership and for encouragement of support for critical community growth through fundraising and philanthropy in the arts, sciences, education and social welfare. In February 2010, The Australian Ballet named its headquarters in Southbank, Melbourne ,

1247-462: The air. Pointe technique is the part of ballet technique that concerns pointe work , in which a ballet dancer supports all body weight on the tips of fully extended feet on specially designed and handcrafted pointe shoes . In professional companies, the shoes are made to fit the dancers' feet perfectly. Students typically learn ballet terminology and the pronunciation, meaning, and precise body form and movement associated with each term. Emphasis

1290-445: The classical era, began. Even though he was responsible for bringing in the classical ballet era, Petipa was also responsible for choreographing well-known romantic ballets such as Giselle . During the classical era, Marius Petipa was largely responsible for creating choreographic structures that are still used in ballets today. For one, Petipa was the first to use the grand pas de deux in his choreography. Additionally, he cemented

1333-567: The company's artistic director is David Hallberg , who was a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre until 2020. In December 2022, Lissa Twomey was appointed as Executive Director of the Company. An arts industry leader with extensive experience domestically and internationally in management of top tier performing arts organisations. The music director and chief conductor of The Australian Ballet appointed in 2022

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1376-443: The dancers to make subtle physical shifts of expression that a live dance accompanist will watch and match as they play. The live musician in a ballet class plays a crucial role in the creative process. As the ballet teacher sets an exercise - moving, counting, vocalising - the musician observes and imagines the music that will best support the exercise. The musician then plays either an existing piece of musical repertoire or creates

1419-416: The five positions (first, second, third, fourth and fifth) of ballet, which to this day remain the foundation of all formal classical ballet technique. Before classical ballet developed, ballet was in a period referred to as the Romantic era. Romantic ballet was known for its storytelling, and often held a softer aesthetic. Classical ballet came to be when a ballet master by the name of Marius Petipa (who

1462-409: The men get stronger, lifts are added to the partnering. Depending on the teacher and training system, students may progress through various stages or levels of training as their skills advance. The traditional ballet masters of the eighteenth century played the violin for their own ballet classes. They also provided their ballet students with instruction in the relationship between the dance steps and

1505-418: The music. By the end of the nineteenth century this had fallen out of fashion, and specialisation in the performing arts meant that the role of the ballet teacher and the ballet musician had become separate professions. By the twentieth century, the violin had given way to the piano as the standard accompaniment for ballet class. When recorded music is substituted for a live musician, there is no opportunity for

1548-569: The student is deemed strong enough in the ankles and can execute the routine to a high standard, usually around or after the age of 12, or after the dancers' feet have stopped developing, so as to protect the dancers' feet from injury common with premature wearing. There are several standardized, widespread, classical ballet training systems , each designed to produce a unique aesthetic quality from its students. Some systems are named after their creators; these are typically called methods or schools . For example, two prevailing systems from Russia are

1591-403: The usage of the corps de ballet as a standard part of a ballet. Despite his ushering in of the classical era, these elements can be seen in his romantic ballets as well. Ballet technique is the foundational principles of body movement and form used in ballet. A distinctive feature of ballet technique is turnout ; which is the outward rotation of the legs and feet emanating from the hip. This

1634-459: The world. Its artistic vision is "Caring for Tradition, Daring to be Different". Each year, the company also presents an extensive national education and outreach programme. The company's income is derived from box office sales, along with funding from the Australian , Victorian , and New South Wales governments; corporate sponsors; private donors; and bequests. Since 2021 and as of 2023

1677-471: Was educated at Ascham School . Her first marriage, in 1952, was to a doctor, Roger Dunlop, with whom she had a daughter, Primrose Dunlop, known as "Pitty Pat". After their divorce in 1969, she married businessman and stockbroker Sir Ian Potter in 1975, becoming Lady Potter. They had met at a dinner hosted by William and Sonia McMahon . Sir Ian Potter had children from three earlier marriages. Primrose Potter has been: director and Victorian chairman of

1720-421: Was first introduced into ballet by King Louis XIV because he loved to show off the shiny buckles on his shoes when he performed his own dances. There are five fundamental positions of the feet in ballet , all performed with turnout and named numerically as first through fifth positions. When performing jumps and leaps, classical ballet dancers strive to exhibit ballon , the appearance of briefly floating in

1763-441: Was formed specially to train dancers for the company. Dame Margaret Scott was the founding director of the school, followed by Gailene Stock , Marilyn Rowe , and then Lisa Pavane, all three former company principal artists. Choreographers including Graeme Murphy , Meryl Tankard , and Natalie Weir rose to prominence at TAB from the 1970s to the 1990s. The company's previous artistic directors were: The Australian Ballet (TAB)

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1806-655: Was set to Igor Stravinsky 's The Rite of Spring . For its 60th anniversary in 2023, TAB presented Identity , a double bill commissioned by Hallberg, which premiered in May 2023 at the Sydney Opera House before moving to Arts Centre Melbourne in June. The performance comprises two works: The Hum , composed by Yorta Yorta woman Deborah Cheetham Fraillon and with costumes designed by Taungurung designer Annette Sax (the first Indigenous women to perform these roles in

1849-588: Was to improve the quality of dance training in France and to invent a technique or curriculum that could be used to transform ballet into a formal discipline. Shortly after the Academie was formed, in 1672, King Louis XIV established a performing company called the Academie Royal de Musique de Dance (today known as Paris Opera), and named Pierre Beauchamp the head dancing-master. While at the Academie Royal, Beauchamp revolutionized ballet technique by inventing

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