Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Melbourne Cup Ballet

Acknowledgements

Australian Ballet Performance of Melbourne Cup, 1963.
Photographer Walter Stringer. BIB id 2062268.0
National Library of Australia
Karl Welander, Kathleen Gorham and artists of The Australian Ballet in Melbourne Cup, 1962
Melbourne Cup was commissioned for the inaugural season of the Australian Ballet. It premiered in Sydney on 16 November 1962. Its choreography was by Rex Reid who, with Geoffrey Ingram, also created a libretto centering on the running of the first Melbourne Cup, which was won by Archer in 1860. With designs by Ann Church Melbourne Cup was danced to a collage of nineteenth-century music arranged by Harold Badger. The opening night cast featured Kathleen Gorham as Archer, Karl Welander as Archer's Jockey, Leonie Leahy as the Debutante and Garth Welch as the Jackeroo.

Russian ballet saddles up
October 06, 2011
LAST time Gediminas Taranda - the artistic director of the Imperial Russian Ballet Company - visited here was during the Melbourne Cup carnival last year.
"There were thousands of people in these special costumes. And I ask my friend, 'Why are they wearing these clothes?' He tells me it is for a celebration of horses. I couldn't believe it. It was crazy," says Taranda, who is back in Australia with his company to perform the Festival of Russian Ballet - an eclectic three-act performance that mixes classic and contemporary ballet.
Taranda says his Melbourne Cup experience inspired what he calls the "highlight" of the show - a piece that requires his dancers to dance on a horse.
"It is a special surprise for Australian audiences," he says. ''And the costumes for this piece are really spectacular."
Click here  and here  to read more

ps:  
Changes to Timetable this week
Kanwal Baby Ballet Class on Wednesday is back at Kanwal Youth and Community Centre starting at 10 am 
Abermain Baby Ballet Class - new time starting at 10 am - Thursday