PrinciPal Partner

PATRONHer excellency the

Hon. Kerry Sanderson aOGovernor of Western australia

PATRON, PRIVATE GIVING

Mrs alexandra Burt

AUTUMN 2015

CHRISTIAN LUCK REFLECTS ON FOOTY

AND FOOTWORK

FELICITATIONS WITH FLO

JENNY AND JESSE KEEPING OUR DANCERS SHIP-SHAPE

DIANA WHITE: DANCING TO

BALANCHINE’S TUNE

balle

tnew

s

3

We welcome Soloist, Luisa Diaz, from compañía nacional de Danza, Mexico.

Six talented young dancers have been awarded Young artist scholarships: Melbournian, Jessica Allison-Walker, from Prudence Bowen atelier; Sydney-born Ashleigh Bennett, from Queensland Ballet's Pre-Professional Programme; adelaide-born Jesse Homes, from new Zealand School of Dance; adelaide-born Benjamin Obst from Queensland Ballet’s Pre-

Professional Programme; and Perth-born Carina Roberts, from WaaPa.

2014 Young artist Scholarship recipients; Phebe Sleeman, Andrew Radak and Liam Green have been promoted to corps de ballet.

We also welcome Amanda Leigh into the role of customer Service Officer, with former cSO, Taui Pinker, moving into the role of executive assistant and Philanthropy coordinator.

FROM THE GREENROOM

This morning I had the pleasure of hearing the choir and orchestra of St George's Cathedral perform Mozart's glorious Coronation Mass as part of Easter Sunday celebrations. A couple of weeks earlier I sat in the same cathedral and enjoyed seeing our dancers performing in a sublime all-Bach programme. Two programmes representing each side of the coin, sacred and profane, yet united by their grace and beauty and the universal truth they can bring us closer to understanding.

Nowhere is 'resurrection' – the spirit risen – more redolent and visible than in artistic expression: a beautifully executed grand jeté... a soaring phrase on a violin... a sweep of colour across a canvas... and for that reason art stands above the ordinary and mundane.

Art should never be categorised into good or bad; or our preference for one 'title' over another; classical verses modernist; bel canto over rap. Art

is important simply because it is, and what it can be. It allows us to look inside ourselves and discover something we may have forgotten, or not yet come to recognise. We may not always like or appreciate a piece of art, but the act of creating it is fundamental to our humanity.

For West Australian Ballet, our art and artistic expression is able to be much more than it 'can be', because of your continued support and belief in the important role art plays within our lives and communities — whether expressed in St George's Cathedral, His Majesty's Theatre, the Quarry, on a beach in Karratha, a school room in Kwinana or numerous other public spaces around our city and State.

Freedom of artistic expression, together with freedom of speech, is currently being challenged from Syria to Russia to Africa and in many parts of the world now too numerous to mention. WAB is able to express its creative ideas in black and white and every shade in between, without fear or favour. And we thank you all for supporting us to do this.

Steven

STEVEN ROTH chief executive ALEXANDRA BURT Patron, Private Giving

‘How can we make our audience a partner in adventure instead of a consumer?’ Frie Leysen, Festival Director

For more than two years now, I have had the privilege to lead this beautiful and versatile company, West Australian Ballet. These 27 months have given me plenty of time to realise and understand some of the challenges we face every day here in Perth.

Even with loyal patrons and friends, achieving a full house for each of our shows, to fill His Majesty’s or The Quarry, is not always an easy task. There are probably several reasons for this; sometimes the title isn’t popular enough, sometimes the repertoire is too contemporary, or too classical.

The challenge is therefore, how do we communicate to our audience to trust us – no matter what we present – instead of trusting only ‘known’ titles? How do we bring the audience on a journey with us?

Often when arranging the programming for our company, many questions come to mind: ‘Who actually is our audience?’ Is it a homogenous group of people? And how do we really know what the

public wants to see? Do I always find the correct answer? Do I ever succeed 100% in my choices? These questions are all difficult to answer and only you, our audience, can answer them.

But one thing is for sure, ballet is a fragile living art form. It sometimes needs to please audiences, but should sometimes also challenge or even provoke them.

Of course as Artistic Director I have the sensitive task to make sure we don’t provoke in a negative way too often; a certain balance needs to be kept. But one thing I have learnt over the last 23 years of my career, is that art (including ballet) is there to elicit some kind of reaction from our public and the press.

Since I started with WAB, one of my priorities has been to bring quality to the stage and every single performance. It is of core importance if we want to respect our patrons, friends and sponsors, and communicate well with our public. Respect is one of the fundamentals in life.

I strongly believe that quality and respect are in evidence on stage every night with your ballet company, so let us take you on a journey and please trust our commitment towards you.

Aurélien

AURELIEN SCANNELLA artistic Director FOND FAREWELLSFollowing the birth of her second child, Fiona Evans has announced her retirement from professional dancing; her final six years being with WaB. Daniel Roberts has taken a place with Sydney Dance company. Claire Hill has retired from professional dancing to pursue a career in teaching with charlesworth Ballet institute. Robert Mills has also retired from professional dancing to focus on a career in personal training and teaching. Benjamin Kirkman has taken a position with Die theater chemnitz, in Germany. 2014 Young artist, Emily Luxton, has joined Melbourne Dance theatre and former ea and Philanthropy coordinator, Alexandra Cook, has also taken a position with Sydney Dance company.

We wish them all well in their future endeavours.

NEW ARRIVALSPrincipal Dancer Brooke Widdison-Jacobs and husband (WaB’s remedial masseur) Jesse Jacobs, have recently celebrated the arrival of their first child, a beautiful baby girl, emilia.

as i write for this edition, the joy that was Perth’s festival season has not long come to a close and my thoughts are still wound up in the excitement of having gorged on a seemingly endless dégustation of artistic delights. as many observe each year, the challenge isn’t deciding what to see, it is deciding what not to see. there are only so many days in the festival period and no one has yet worked out how to be in two places at once. it’s exhausting! and so much fun.

this year’s festival season was a triumph. and what a pleasure it is to talk about a festival ‘season’, with the cornerstone Perth

international arts Festival and the Fringe Festival sharing centre stage in Perth for the best part of a month. For over 60 years, PiaF has provided Perth audiences with nothing but the best of what the world, including australia, has to offer. Overlay that with the Fringe Festival and the buzz at festival time has now more than doubled. to top it off, literally, the Giants who beautifully opened PiaF with their simple strolls, snoozes and showers in our streets, ensured that artistic and community energy reached an all-time high in Perth this year.

With the end of these festivals comes a bit of a breather, but in my view, we mustn’t catch our breath for too long or let the energy dissipate too quickly. it’s this energy that can drive more artistic engagement across the community for the rest of the year. We don’t have to wait until festival time to get our artistic fill.

People in business talk about supply and demand, and finding the right balance between the two. However, people also know that sometimes success comes from taking a punt and creating a critical mass of supply, and that this in turn creates the demand, like having all the car dealers in the same street. i think our two major festivals running concurrently prove this point – double the availability of artistic experiences and, counter-intuitively, more people will appear to see them. So coming back to the amount of artistic energy in Wa post-festival, i think it we

have a terrific opportunity to keep the artistic cauldron bubbling a little more vigorously each year so that we can grow into a truly arts-based city.

So how do we do this? the good news is that financial supporters of WaB already know how.

You are the appreciators, the ones who see the arts as a gift and something to be thankful for and you are proud to put your hand to the wheel to help make it possible.

You are the champions, the ones who trumpet the successes and encourage others to join us.

and you are the investors, the ones who see the artistic potential ahead of us and want to shore up a solid future for us and the coming generations.

the example you set hasn’t gone unnoticed by others in the arts community. West australian Ballet is recognised, and envied, as having one of the most engaged and committed private donor groups in the state. Our cauldron is bubbling furiously!

at times such as these, where the desire to enhance Perth’s artistic prowess is high, we can lead the way for others. Just like all those co-located car dealers, i am certain that we can prove that more really is merrier.

Alexandra

amanda leigh

Front cover image: Christian Luck &

Florence Leroux-Coleno, photo by Sergey Pevnev

WELCOME

Brooke Widdison-Jacobs holding Emilia Jacobs

New Young Artists from Left to Right - Benjamin Obst, Jesse Holmes, Jessica Allison-Walker, Ashleigh Bennett & Carina Roberts

luisa Diaz

Company in Un Black. Photo Sergey PevnevSandy Delasalle & Matthew Lehmann in La Pluie. Photo Sergey Pevnev

Christian in rehearsals for Snow White with Polly Hilton. Photo by Sergey Pevnev

5

HuMilitY anD PaSSiOn are PrOBaBlY tHe tWO HallMarKS OF anY Great artiSt. tHiS iS certainlY eviDent aFter SittinG DOWn FOr a cHat Over ‘un caFé’ WitH FrencH-BOrn Dancer, FlOrence lerOux-cOlénO. Our cOnverSatiOn PrOveD tHat nO Matter WHere We all cOMe FrOM, We aS DancerS anD artiStS aPPrOacH Our careerS WitH a SiMilar reverence.

Perth audiences have had the pleasure of watching ‘Flo’ (as we affectionately call her) make West australian Ballet her new home. Shining on stage in Ballet at the Quarry 2014 in Mono Lisa, enchanting with her portrayal as Giselle, endearingly naïve and sweet as ‘Snow White’, and most recently pushing her body and mind to the extreme with the technically challenging Steptext for Ballet at the Quarry 2015. Florence is a talented, multi-faceted and extremely versatile dancer. She has it all!

FABULOUS FRENCH FLAIR FLORENCE LEROUX-COLENO

By Demi-Soloist Christopher Hill

following her heart, her career began in Marseille, then on to lausanne, Switzerland to dance for the acclaimed and iconic choreographer, Maurice Béjart, and ultimately to her new home here in Perth at the invitation of aurélien Scannella. Following her heart is something that always leads her to the right destination.

Big opportunities early in her career have been formative and instrumental in Flo becoming the

dancer she is today. the opportunity to dance in several Balanchine ballets during her time in Marseille was a career highlight. Flo tells me that the Balanchine style sits very well with her and that it feels ‘right’ for her body. the opportunity to dance Who Cares? and Concerto Barocco in May is something she is looking forward to; to see just how much she has learnt and how she might apply her knowledge this second time around. this is where her humility is evident; never taking anything for granted, always looking for ways to use past experience to enrich the new, ever broadening her ‘repertoire’ of skills and knowledge.

During her time off, Flo enjoys drawing and painting. the simple act of putting pen to paper and letting her hand guide the movement without much thought, seeing where the sketch takes her is a favourite way to unwind.

early in her career, Flo encountered a situation while working with a choreographer that impacted her artistry immensely. there was a particular movement that was proving tricky to grasp, so the choreographer asked what she enjoys doing in her spare time, hoping to glean an insight into what

makes her tick and in turn finding a way to use that to inspire. Flo expressed her joy in drawing, so the choreographer asked her to use that as motivation: ‘choose the correct brush, decide on a colour and a stroke, paint the movement with your body…voilá!’ this was a break through and advice that has guided her work into the future.

What becomes very clear is that Flo is always on the lookout for the next challenge. coming off stage, still sweating from giving her all, Flo is already thinking ahead about what she wants to give to the audience the next night. never complacent, always striving to push herself and give that beautiful, fleeting moment of escapism that we aim to create every night on stage. transporting the audience to a foreign, beautiful world where anything and everything is possible.

never one to sit back and take it easy, constantly looking ahead, Flo is ready for the next dancing challenge.

We are very lucky to have Florence as part of our WaB family.

By Demi-Soloist Meg Parry

MOSt artiStS can talK OF tHeir craFt Quite eaSilY, But nOt SO FOr cHriStian lucK. aFter FiniSHinG a verY SucceSSFul QuarrY SeaSOn in WHicH He PerFOrMeD StEPtExt, a tOuGH Piece BY WilliaM FOrSYtHe, i FinallY cOnvinceD tHe reluctant cHriStian tO Sit DOWn anD talK aBOut HiMSelF! nOt BecauSe He DOeSn't Want tO, But BecauSe in realitY, He iS Quite HuMBle WHen it cOMeS tO talKinG aBOut HiS career.

christian started dancing young – as most dancers do – by watching his sister at dance classes and jumping out of his stroller to try to copy her. So it wasn’t long before he began his own classes ( jazz and tap) with Gailene coulsen in Maroubra, Sydney. From small beginnings he discovered his love of ballet and joined the McDonald Performing arts college in year six. it was here that his true passion for all things classical unfolded, participating in numerous competitions, and even scoring a walk-on children's role with the australian Ballet, of which his favourite memory is Justine Summers giving him a kiss on the cheek! a definite highlight for any little boy.

at 16 he was accepted into the australian Ballet School and moved to Melbourne.

Most of his friends and fellow dancers say that luck was always ‘one of the boys', constantly playing pranks and getting into mischief! His love for ballet continued and he was delighted to tour with the Dancers company in his final year. upon graduating at the age of 20, he was offered a position with WaB.

So what makes christian different to a 'stereotypical' ballet dancer? Well, for one thing he is a sport-loving, family- orientated guy, which ensures that his life outside of the studio is just as colourful as the choreography inside the studio. His hobbies of golf, gym training, beach-going and general socialising with his extremely large circle of friends is what keeps him humble and focused.

Having worked under three artistic Directors at WaB, and touring to places like Korea, china and regional Wa, his love for the company continues to grow. He especially relished the opportunity to perform memorable roles such as Gremin (Onegin), tybalt (Romeo & Juliet) and Prince charming (Snow White & the 7 Dwarfs).

But when talking to christian, you won't hear about these moments. instead, he'll tell you how his favourite rugby team, the Sydney roosters are doing, or talk about his favourite bands like Simply red or the Bee Gees, or how his footy tipping is going,

CHRISTIAN LUCK

or even his most recent catch up with his energetic nan. But when he hits the stage, his love for everything classical is undeniable.

there have been many highlights and near misses on stage, as well as a whole lot of injuries along the way, but each time luck comes back stronger and with a little more determination to perfect his craft. So it is no surprise that leading up to this year’s Quarry, he knew he had to be in top shape mentally and physically. Steptext is often described as technically challenging and demanding. Personally, i have never seen luck happier than when rehearsing for Steptext.

For luck, the opportunity to be able to give everything to work and the pursuit of perfection makes it all the more worthwhile. His cast mates in Steptext, Florence leroux-coléno, christopher Hill and alessio Scognamiglio, had to rely heavily on each other with 100% trust in rehearsals and performances to get the most out of a piece of this calibre. trust is important here because of the nature of the choreography; the female dancer is always ‘off-balance’ and pushed to the limit, and therefore must be carefully partnered with total control in the hands of the male dancers. this is one of christian's favourite things, pushing himself in partnering to the limits. But the most challenging thing for him? Finding the rhythm in the music, because without this, a dancer can become completely lost.

luck loved the risk involved in Steptext and working with the very patient rehearsal d i r e c t o r, K a t h r y n Bennetts. a favourite quote of Kathryn's that stuck with christian was; ‘if you do this piece and it feels comfortable, it's wrong’, which speaks of the high demand and technical challenge of the piece. For luck, this has been one of his most rewarding artistic experiences.

So whilst he might not be one of the most stereotypical male ballet dancers, with his passion for golf, the Bee Gees and sports in general, there is no denying that on stage and in the studio, christian luck is definitely a ‘ballet boy’ at heart and always will be.

Florence & Christian performing Steptext. Photo by Sergey Pevnev

Florence & Christian performing in Snow White. Photo by Emma Fishwick

Deciding at a young age that impressing the head of the conservatoire in a nearby city was her ticket to dance, Flo didn’t hold back when the opportunity came. attaining a coveted position at the academy and choosing to move away from home at age 13 to boarding school may be considered a tough decision, but when i asked Flo if she found this difficult, the simply honest reply i received was perfect; ‘this was my goal. this is what i wanted.’

this kind of conviction has been instrumental in all of her career choices. trusting her intuition and

YoUr generoUS DonationS towarDS rePertoire DeveLoPMent anD artiStiC DireCtor’S DiSCretion, giveS taLenteD DanCerS Like ChriStian anD FLorenCe the oPPortUnitY to DeveLoP their taLent

anD inSPire YoU in inCreDiBLe workS Like wiLLiaM ForSYthe’S ‘StePtext’.

Florence & Christopher hill performing Steptext. Photo by Sergey Pevnev

IN T

HE S

POTL

IGHT

More Than Just ‘One Of The Boys’!

7

Diana WHiteREFLECTIONS ON DANCING WITH ‘MR B’

By Dr David Hough

AT FOUR YEARS OF AGE, DIANA WHITE DID NOT KNOW THAT SHE WAS RESPONDING TO MUSIC OR THAT WITHIN A DECADE SHE WOULD BE KNOCKING ON THE DOOR OF MR BALANCHINE’S NEW YORK CITY BALLET. HER MOTHER LOvED MUSIC AND ALWAYS HAD ON A RADIO CONCERT OR AN LP RECORDING. EITHER WAY, IT INSPIRED A CHILD TO MOvE IN AN ExPRESSIvE WAY.

‘Mum was the exact opposite of a stage mother,’ Diana said from New York. ‘I was just dancing around but I’m told that the first ballet I was taken to I just sat on the edge of my seat. I remember little but I have never wanted to be anything but a dancer. I didn’t have to be pushed.’

At the age of 10, when NYCB came to Chicago, Diana appeared as a bug in Mr B’s a Midsummer night’s Dream. At 14 she was the youngest dancer to join Maria Tallchief’s newly formed Lyric Opera Ballet and when Mr B. returned to stage orfeo for them in 1975, he invited her to become an apprentice at NYCB. In 1978, at the age of 18 she pirouetted into the company, and danced with them for 20 years.

During that time, Diana worked directly with Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, rising from Corps de ballet to Principal in over 50 Balanchine and 20 Robbins creations.

In April Diana, as a repetiteur, has arrived in Perth for six weeks to work with West Australian Ballet to prepare three Balanchines for the Company’s May season at His Majesty’s Theatre.

who Cares? is a set of dances Balanchine choreographed in 1970 to songs by George Gershwin. ‘It is beautiful, very American,’ said Balanchine. Gershwin had earlier invited him to choreograph dances for the 1938 film goldwyn Follies. Gershwin had died the year before but Balanchine, a consummate pianist, had the music in his fingers and the rhythms in his ballet shoes. who Cares? has no story, just the songs.

the dance critic arlene croce noted that Who Cares? contrasted classical dancing with show dancing, the 1920s with the 1970s, against a backdrop of a new York skyline. the ballet, then, is more than an elegant throwaway of a title.

Mr B. always capitalised on a dancer’s strengths, according to Diana, and this is something she tries to do. in her research she goes back to the original – in this case to Karin von aroldingen’s interpretation of the Jumping Girl, one of the three principal roles in the ballet. Karin was one of Diana’s mentors and was an inspiration to her both as a dancer and as a teacher and coach.

Concerto Barocco has been around since 1941 and is a classic ensemble work. it has no subject matter, other than the score – Bach’s Concerto in D minor for two Violins. ‘the only preparation possible for this ballet,’ said Mr B., ‘is a knowledge of its music.’

Few choreographers have understood or responded to music as well as Balanchine. He studied piano, theory and composition at the Petrograd conservatory while he was dancing at the Maryinsky Ballet. He worked extensively with Stravinsky who respected his musicianship sufficiently to rework a score if necessary to Balanchine’s satisfaction. Stravinsky never compromised for anyone else.

For Balanchine, Baroque art and architecture were of interest more for decorative embellishments than for subject matter. His classical dancing in Concerto Barocco is a counterpoint to classical Bach. it will be a showcase for the company.

Balanchine created tschaikovsky Pas de Deux in 1960 for another of Diana’s mentors, violette verdy, and leading dancer, conrad ludlow. it was a piece of tschaikovsky

discarded by Petipa in his original Swan Lake and discovered in the Bolshoi theatre archives. it is a showpiece for virtuoso performers.

as Diana will be turning up cold, not having seen any of the company’s dancers on DvD, she has proposed to aurélien that as many of the company’s soloists as possible learn the pas de deux. this will enlarge the choice of who gets to open and close the season. ‘everyone needs to know it,’ she says, and suspects that many of them probably know it already.

although Diana has worked with dancers and companies world-wide, this is her first professional visit to australia. a number of former colleagues have settled here. She remembers noelle Shader, for example, with whom she danced at nYcB before noelle immigrated to Perth. noelle taught at the Wa academy of Performing arts, was Ballet Mistress for West australian Ballet, and then moved to a similar role with the australian Ballet. Diana also danced with Perth-born toni Bentley who returned last year to review WaB’s Giselle.

like many dancers and teachers of her generation, Diana recognises that dance

aesthetics and techniques change and evolve over time. nevertheless she feels that today there is too much emphasis on technique for technique’s sake, and not enough attention to the artistry and musicality of performance. in her six weeks here she wants the dancers to become so absorbed in the work that technique and steps become completely subordinate to the expression and fusion of music with movement. Only then will Mr B. be pleased.

"Mr B. always capitalised on a dancer’s strengths, according to Diana, and this is something she tries to do."

waB Dancers in Balanchine's Serenade, Ballet at the Quarry 2012. Photo by Jon green

waB Dancers in Balanchine's Serenade, Ballet at the Quarry 2012. Photo by Jon green

Diana White in Balanchine's Rubies

george Balanchine

JennY WOODS HaD a DOuBle reaSOn tO Be DeliGHteD aS DancerS tOOK tHeir curtain call On tHe OPeninG niGHt OF ZiP ZAP ZOOM, tHe cOMPanY’S 2015 QuarrY SeaSOn. Her cOMPOSer DauGHter, uK-BaSeD caitlin, HaD createD linKinG MuSic FOr Daniel rOBert’S HOLD tHE FOuRtH; it WaS Her FirSt GiG at tHe QuarrY. anD tHe cOMPanY HaD OnlY One Dancer SiDelineD WitH inJurY.

Jesse Jacobs was on cloud nine – but for another reason. His wife, Principal Dancer Brooke Widdison-Jacobs, had just given birth to their daughter emilia. Would she become a dancer like her parents? it did not cross Jesse’s mind as he critically analysed what he saw on stage.

Jenny and Jesse had made their way independently to the Quarry just as they had journeyed separately to the double doors at WaB’s Maylands headquarters to take up their positions; Jenny as musculoskeletal physiotherapist, Jesse as remedial massage therapist.

Jenny and Jesse together with Pilates coordinator, chael Hilton, chief Medical Officer, Dr Mark de cruz, associate Sports Physiotherapist, victoria Simpson, Medical consultant, Dr Scott isbel and cardio instructor, Michael Makossa, make up the company’s Dancer Well-being team. the physical and mental demands are such that there is a real risk of dancers sustaining performance-related injuries. this is not only an emotional and mental anguish for the dancer whose career may be at stake but also an economic and artistic burden for a company with obligations to an artistic programme, its audiences and its sponsors.

Dance companies around the world, from Birmingham royal Ballet to new York city Ballet, are now realising that a dancer wellness programme underwrites injury prevention, effective and efficient training, productivity and career longevity. West australian Ballet is one of the leaders in the field. that this Quarry season, despite its physical intensity, recorded one of the lowest injury lists in recent times is a cautious measure of the team’s success.

By Dr David Hough

Jenny came from a sporting family – her father was a lacrosse referee, her brother an international player – and combined sport with piano and ballet classes to achieve Solo Seal under Joan Stacey. She is a post-graduate in Physiotherapy from curtin university – a course then under the watchful eye of the late robert elvey. in the early 1980s she treated members of the australian Ballet while in Sydney. Jenny then joined the Body logic Physiotherapy practice with Dr Peter O’Sullivan. Some five years ago she began helping out at WaB when staff were on holidays or injury lists required outside assistance.

Jenny is a professional member of the international association for Dance Medicine and Science. attending conferences in Singapore, Seattle and Basel has enabled her to establish a network of like-minded professionals with whom she stays in touch.

raising a family of five children, many of whom match the ages of the dancers, has given Jenny a maturity and a wealth of life experience. this has equipped her for the position of Head of the Well-being program. ‘i like being with young people,’ she says with a generous smile of satisfaction.

Jesse’s father was a pianist, his mother, a jazz singer. He was a hyperactive child but at an early age his parents noticed the calming effect that music had on him. ‘it made me quiet,’ he said. they enrolled him in the school of the royal Ballet of Flanders when he was ‘about six or seven’. the result was amazing.

the relationship between music and intellectual development is well known and in Jesse’s case, the disciplined programme of movement, music and education saw him leap from the bottom to the top of the academic class, where he stayed until graduation.

after a 13-year professional career, mostly with the royal Ballet of Flanders, he sensed he ‘was on top of what i could physically achieve and i realised i couldn’t get any better.’ So he retired. But he had discovered something that shaped his future.

Jesse had discovered that he had some magic in his fingers. Dancers in his company – there were 44 of them – would complain about a pain here or an ache there, or perhaps a tear somewhere else. He found that he had a hands-on gift to identify a problem and fix it.

Jesse graduated from the university of leiden – he is Dutch by nationality – in sports massage therapy. after immigrating to australia with Brooke, he gained professional recognition with the Melbourne-based australian college of Sports therapy with a Diploma of remedial Massage. He then applied to chief executive, Steven roth, for a position with the company. the Wa institute of Sport has also given Jesse its tick of approval. this enables him to treat Olympic athletes at the Subiaco Sports Massage

Dancer Well-BeinG Managing our most valuable asset

"Dance companies around the world, from Birmingham Royal Ballet to New York City Ballet, are now realising that a dancer wellness program underwrites injury prevention, effective and efficient training, productivity and career longevity. West Australian Ballet is one of the leaders in the field."

Jenny woods & Chael hilton (background) treating Company dancers. Photo by Sergey Pevnev

weSt aUStraLian BaLLet iS grateFUL For the SUPPort oF LeaD weLLneSS Centre DonorS, aLexanDra anD JULian BUrt, anD other waB PatronS who SUPPort ‘DanCer weLL-Being’ throUgh annUaL giving PrograMMeS. YoUr giFtS PLaY a vitaL roLe in keePing oUr DanCerS Fit, heaLthY, anD on-Stage.

9

Jesse Jacobs treating Phebe Sleeman. Photo by Sergey Pevnev

11

Young artist Snapshot Carina roBertS

Carina, anD other giFteD YoUng DanCerS, have the oPPortUnitY to Live their DreaM BY gaining a ‘SteP UP’ to a ProFeSSionaL Career throUgh the generoSitY oF Private FoUnDationS anD PatronS SUCh aS the MCCUSker CharitaBLe FoUnDation,who ProUDLY SUPPort Carina’S YoUng artiSt SChoLarShiP.

carina roberts is a warm, charming and wonderfully charismatic young dancer. Polite and eloquent, carina possesses a maturity well beyond her years. carina’s parents, Brett and louise (nee Kimber) were members of WaB in the late 80’s/early 90’s, and dance seems to be part of the roberts family business, with all their children undertaking formal dance training.

carina began her training at age three at Perth’s Gail Meade Performing arts centre training in jazz, tap and ballet. She reminisces how at first she begrudged going to the ballet classes, but by age 14 began to seriously approach her training. Gaining a place at WaaPa in 2013, achieving an aicD Senior award (2013), the raD Pre-Professional award (2014) and an advanced Diploma in elite Performance.

carina’s inspiration to dance may have come from her parents, but ultimately, it was that she ‘just wanted to dance’, and to not only be the best, but her best. 'i don’t think i could have gone through life not doing this’.

By Philanthropy Manager Catherine Henwood

Have YOu ever HearD a StOrY aBOut HOW a cOuPle Met tHat YOu can’t Quite Believe?

Well…Dorothy and allan Smith have a story like that. their shared interests range from football to ballet, and they have been subscribers and generous supporters of West australian Ballet for a number of years.

You might think that we are talking about high-school sweethearts, but in fact, Dorothy and allan had both lived a lifetime before they first met through mutual friends at a Grand Final game at the McG. Dorothy and allan had each led full lives prior to meeting one another, however, they both had tragically lost their partners at a similar time to cancer. their conversation started with a shared belief in supporting cancer rehabilitation, but after they got chatting, they couldn’t believe what similar lives they had both led.

Dorothy and allan discovered that they had both moved to Perth in the same year (living within a kilometre of each other) and had also married their former partners in the same year. they had children of similar ages and multiple common interests such as golf, tennis and

football. incredibly, Dorothy and allan had been attending the ballet, symphony and opera for close to 30 years and requesting the same seat locations! How they had not bumped into one another before that day must have been fate, as the timing of their eventual meeting was clearly meant to be.

Dorothy grew up in regional nSW and having been deprived of the performing arts as a child, fell in love with the cultural world after moving to the city. allan was introduced to ballet through his daughter and has been attending performances both locally and nationally for many years.

Ballet is especially significant for Dorothy. Her Mother, who was battling cancer, had her last request fulfilled when her three daughters took her to see the russian Ballet in albury. it had been a lifelong dream to attend the ballet with ‘her girls’ and to have this wish fulfilled is an enduring family memory.

Dorothy and allan’s philanthropic support extends beyond the arts. Given their very personal experiences with cancer, Dorothy and allan

By executive assistant & Philanthropy coordinator Taui Pinker

clinic. ‘this keeps my knowledge and treatment of sports injuries up to date,’ he says.

‘injury can make you a better dancer,’ Jesse believes. ‘it’s a chance, an obligation perhaps, to change something. and this can be better for you.’

Over ten million australians spend an average of eight hours a day in the workplace, according to the Heart Foundation. effective workforce health programmes improve the health and wellbeing of employees and benefit the organisation through reduced absenteeism and increased productivity.

Dancers are elite athletes with a dedicated focus on their performance and their careers. anxiety and perfectionism go hand in hand. Dancers usually give short shrift to those who are not 100 per cent committed to their endeavour. this works in Jesse’s favour: he was a dancer; he understands their drive and their needs, and shares their total commitment.

the company’s Well-being programme has a number of components that revolve around screening – the gaining of important information that assists in the education of the dancer, the guidance of artistic staff and the management and rehabilitation by the Well-being team.

injury prevention is a key focus of the programme. From the screenings, personalised exercise schedules are prepared. referral to appropriate practitioners is arranged if required – whether the counselling be medical, musculoskeletal, technical and fitness, nutritional or psychological.

each dancer is unique, and there are significant differences in the physique, musculature, psychological makeup and response to training of male and female dancers. Jenny and Jesse are sensitive to these differences. videotaping provides a record, visual feedback and a baseline from which to measure progress.

an absolute essential is mutual trust and respect and here both Jenny and Jesse have been most successful. ‘We try to make the dancers feel safe,’ says Jenny. it isn’t easy. Of the company’s 31 dancers, 17 are australian (seven from Wa), but the remaining 14 come from russia, europe and the united Kingdom, as well as central and South america, Japan, Hong Kong and Malaysia. in this cultural mix the social health is extraordinary – more than one dancer has told me that it is like one huge family – but there are sensitivities nevertheless.

While the Well-being programme concentrates on the dancers, the organisational value to the company of having its own home should not be under-estimated. it has been inspirational for the professional and support staff as much as for the dancers. a happy company is a productive company whether behind reception or in front of an audience. the Well-being programme ensures that the company maintains its artistic excellence – with a longer shelf life for its most important asset, its dancers.

Dorothy & allan Smith

decided they wanted to help others on their journey with this disease. in 2012 they were instrumental in setting up a respite named Dot’s Place in Bunbury, which provides services and support to cancer patients in the South West.

Dorothy and allan are proud of West australian Ballet and the evolution of the company in recent years. they enjoy attending performances, and especially love sharing the magical family ballet seasons with their grandchildren.

We thank Dorothy and allan for their ongoing support of West australian Ballet.

Melissa Boniface & Daniel roberts working out. Photo by Sergey Pevnev

Carolyn McCusker, tonya McCusker &

Carina Roberts. Photo by Sergey Pevnev

Coppélia Campioneeach year, a group of visionary individuals come together to support the creation a major new work for West australian Ballet. this group are called the campione (‘champions’) and their generosity enables us to build sets and costumes; to breathe the creative vision of today into classic ballets.

Coppélia is a popular and heart-warming ballet, and we are proud to bring a uniquely australian production of this classic story to the stage, which is set in the small German settlement of Hahndorf, South australia.

Our campione circle seek to raise $100,000 towards the sets and costumes for this new production, and we invite you to inspire our creative team by making a donation of $1,000 or more.*

* Campione Circle members will be invited to an exclusive onstage event to preview the set and costumes. All donations are fully tax deductible. Visit our website waballet.com.au and click on Support > Donate > Campione

errata

In the Spring 2014 edition of ballet news a number of historic images were published together with the article ‘WAB’s Rich Cultural Legacy’. We sincerely thank the Museum of Performing Arts for the use of these images.

PATRON PROFILE Dorothy and allan Smith

13

a SPecial WiSHFOR ONE INSPIRING LITTLE GIRL!

By education Officer Rebecca Sneddon

By communications & Sponsorship Director Sarah-Jane Emslie

MaSterclaSS

Mandurah Ballet Schools workshop. Photo by rebecca Sneddon

Mimi anderson & Principal Dancer Jayne Smeulders

GREAT LEAPS!have you heard about waB’s Bankwest great Leaps programme? great Leaps memberships offer discounted $10 tickets to waB seasons, as well as other great opportunities, such as special workshops and masterclasses, and info about what’s on for young dancers at the west australian Ballet Centre. open to all students of dance schools aged 5 – 17 years. For more information see waballet.com.au > learn > great leaps

ahead of WaB’s regional tour of Zip Zap Zoom, the education team visited schools in the Bunbury and Mandurah area to provide workshops for local primary and secondary students, as well as ballet schools.

the students were enthralled by the strength and dedication that ballet requires and they all left their workshops smiling and ‘pirouette-ing’.

‘the Workshop was brilliant! Several boys who thought they wouldn’t participate ended up being the most engaged and i’ve never seen some of our students that quiet before!’ – Greenfields Primary School (Mandurah).

Students of Clifton Park Primary School

EDUCATION TOUR Mandurah to Bunbury

WeSt auStralian Ballet’S MaSterclaSS PrOGraMMe GOt OFF tO a FantaStic Start in 2015 WitH Over 140 YOunG DancerS auDitiOninG FOr tHe PrOGraMMe. tHe WaB MaSterclaSS PrOGraMMe OFFerS elite traininG tO aSPirinG BallerinaS anD BallerinOS, FrOM WaB’S artiStic StaFF anD SPecial GueSt teacHerS, aS Well aS PrOviDinG an iMPOrtant inSiGHt intO liFe in a PrOFeSSiOnal Ballet cOMPanY.

Four of our 2015 Masterclass students, Jada Huang, alannah reberger, Hartley trusler and Sara Ouwendyk, tell us what drives them and how WaB is helping them to achieve their dreams.

Ballet is a way of life and most dancers aspire to a performing career: ‘i’ve always known i wanted to dance’ says Sara (15), whilst Hartley (17) says that if he’s not dancing he feels lost. Junior

students Jada (12) and alannah (13) hope to one day dance for West australian Ballet. Both see this programme as one of the many stepping stones to achieving this ultimate goal.

So what is it about ballet that inspires and motivates these students? For Jada, it is the technicality and musicality involved; but for alannah, it is the way that ballet can be understood regardless of cultural or language barriers. that’s not to say ballet doesn’t have its challenges and like most dancers, Hartley is his own harshest critic: ‘the hardest thing is being able to say, “things will get better just don’t be so harsh on yourself”. But it’s worth the blood, sweat and tears’ he adds with a smile.

each student has their favourite WaB dancer and getting to see them up close in the studio, in the hallway on the way to class, and sometimes even as a coach, is

YoUr generoUS SUPPort oF YoUng artiSt training PrograMMeS ProviDeS invaLUaBLe oPPortUnitieS For weStern aUStraLia’S MoSt taLenteD YoUng DanCerS to have the BeSt ChanCe oF a FUtUre Career. the waB MaSterCLaSS PrograMMe iS JUSt one oF a nUMBer oF CritiCaL PrograMMeS that nUrtUre anD inSPire the next generation oF waB ‘StarS’.

SOMe MOntHS aGO, i receiveD One OF tHOSe eMailS YOu DOn’t Get verY OFten. One tHat MaKeS YOu StOP anD recall HOW verY lucKY We are tO Have SO MucH tO celeBrate anD Be GrateFul FOr in Our liveS. One OF tHe MOSt iMPOrtant tHinGS tO cHeriSH iS Our HealtH.

the email was from the father of a little girl ( just three years old) Mimi, who is ill with leukaemia and fighting the battle of her life. His reason for getting in touch was that Mimi’s dearest love is ballet and her special wish was to one day meet a ballerina.

Whilst we waited for Mimi to get a little stronger and planned for her eventual visit, i was reminded of something else worth celebrating – which i’m delighted that we have in abundance here at WaBc – the kindness of others.

Staff from every department of WaB stepped forward to help make Mimi’s visit extra special: from a tutu custom-made by the wardrobe department, to a ballet goody bag from education staff, big hugs from our ballerinas, our ballet master’s gentle side-stepping in class as Mimi twirled dangerously close to the barre, signed pointe shoes, and a toy butterfly from Principal Dancer, Sergey Pevnev, ensured that Mimi’s visit was a joyous celebration.

Christopher Hill with 2015 Junior Masterclass

Jayne Smeulders with 2015 Senior Masterclass

Christopher hill teaching 2015 Junior Masterclass

alannah, hartley, Jada & Sara

a real thrill for these young hopefuls. Sara’s favourite WaB dancer is Principal, Jayne Smeulders; whilst Hartley looks up to Soloist andre Santos, exclaiming ‘it’s crazy how he can do everything!’

to be associated with the State’s ballet company is a real thrill: ‘i’m excited to gain experience and to learn from lots of different teachers’ says Jada. ultimately, each student hopes to grow as a dancer and with this year’s talented group, we think the future of ballet looks very bright!

Students of greenfields Primary School

Patron, Private GivinGMrs Alexandra Burt

Major BenefactorsBendat Family FoundationAngela BennettMinderoo FoundationWestracMichael J.M. Wright

Bravura Circle $10,000+Alex & Julian BurtDorothy & Allan SmithMcCusker Charitable FoundationRella ConsultantsWesfarmers ArtsWindsor Knight Pty LtdMary Ann WrightWright Burt FoundationAnonymous (1)

Director's Circle $5,000+Susy BogleMarilyn BurtonTim Bult & Lisa ChurchBux Family FoundationIan & Rosana CochraneGena CulleyRoger & Christine DaviesDavson & Ward Pty LtdRobert EdwardesFriends of West Australian BalletCharles & Patricia GalluccioPatricia GatesJamelia Gubgub & David WallaceEve HowellKennerlysThe Robert Kimpton FamilyJohn Langoulant AOGreg MeyerowitzKay Lee & Richard MurphyJane & Jock MorrisonPeggy & Mladen NinkovThe Stan Perron Charitable TrustIngrid & Mark PuzeyDavid & Rosalind SmithSmith-Gander Family

Clair & John StanleyM & H TuiteSimon & Alison TurnerHeather Zampatti

Choreographers' Circle $2,000+Helen AnsellNeil Archibald & Alan Dodge AMTony & Diana BeckTony & Mary BeeleySally BurtonCarol ConleyBarry & Carole Crommelin OAMJohn & Gay CruickshankLorraine EllardDavid & Hannah GoldstoneDorothea Hansen-KnarhoiBernard HartJacqui & Peter MacliverDennis & Margaretha Maltz and Mary ChengIn memory of Patricia ProtterRichard Tarala & Lyn Beazley AORodney & Penelope ThompsonBeth TownsendJuerg & Elisabeth WeberGill & Jim Williams

Leading Artists' Circle $1,000+Elizabeth AllenMike & Sandy AnghieTom & Heather BannermanMatthew J.C. BlampeyPeter BlaxellRobert BranchiHelen BurkeKatrina ChisholmLesley DaviesMichael & Wendy DavisThe Forrest FamilyMrs S GillettGerie & Ole HansenOlive & Bill HenwoodHelen HollingsheadGill Holly

Friends of His Majesty's TheatreCatherine & Will HenwoodHeidi Kellner-MarshallCarolyn KiddFrancis LandelsMegan LoweGaye & John McMathDr Karen McQuillanIn Loving Memory of Anna MercerSusan MerrittJulie NortonDr Frank O'KeeffePamela Platt Steven RothMr Stuart StricklandPaul UnderwoodSiobhan Vincent & AssociatesDiana WarnockJoy WearneMargaret WhitterJanet WilliamsAnonymous (3)

Friends' Circle $75+199 Supporters

Kira Bousloff Bequest CircleWest Australian Ballet recognises those who have chosen to support the future of ballet through our planned giving programme.

Ella Fry BequestAndrew & Del McGuinessDavid & Rosalind SmithIn memory of Colleen Clifford & Terry Ashton-WoodOlive Wheeler-BrennanFreddi WilkinsonAnonymous (4)

Nicky & Larry IfflaJim & Freda IrenicStephanie & John KobelkeDebra Reinecke & Stuart Le MayRosalind LilleyDr Andrew MilesTony & Gillian MilneLynn MurrayCallum NeilLeanne O'MalleyAthena PatonH.E the Hon. Kerry Sanderson AOHoward & Lindsey ReadFiona & Kurt SassenfeldEve Shannon-CullityJohn & Joy ShepherdDr Peter Simpson OAMIan & Helen Smith OAMRobyn TamkeGeeta Thakorlal & Alan DayJan Stewart PSMJohn & Soosie ThompsonChristine & David ThorpeAlexandra WelchOlive Wheeler-BrennanWPO Perth ChapterAnonymous (6)

Artists' Circle $500+Gavin BainSu BakerAllan BarbarichShirley BarracloughC & K BrownlieMarie Leah CicchiniKim & Valerie CottrellMichael CrossleyMark DawsonJ. FairweatherMartyn FlahiveKay GiorgettaPippa GreenRobin GroomSusan GryllsPhilip HassettBrit & Edward Helgeby

Florence Leroux-Coleno & andre Santos. Photo by emma Fishwick

Christopher hill, Claire hill & alessio Scognamiglio in Zip Zap Zoom. Photo by Sergey Pevnev

Sandy Delasalle & Matthew Lehmann in La Pluie. Photo by Sergey Pevnev

15

OPENING NIGHT WRAPSSnow White and the 7 Dwarfs | November – December 2014

Zip Zap Zoom: Ballet at the Quarry | February 2015

the much-loved classic, Snow White, played to full houses at christmas, closing another successful year for WaB.

“the company were truly in their element last night – theatrical, funny, graceful and technically on point… As sparks fly in acts of magic, a live bird flutters his wings, smoke sprawls across the stage and the mirror comes to life, it’s easy to believe anything is possible.” Perth Now

after a sold out Quarry season in 2014, audience expectations were again fulfilled with a riveting season of Zip Zap Zoom.

“Every section of this visually complex choreography was aligned and balanced with the rest, while it mesmerised and excited the viewer. this company, this night, were outstanding.” the Australian

West Australian Ballet gratefully acknowledges the generous support of our donors, who play a vital role in bringing exceptional performances to our Western Australian communities.

IN RECOGNITION OF GIFTS RECEIvED BETWEEN 1 MARCH 2014 AND 28 FEBRUARY 2015

ONLINE DONATION Making a gift has never been easier... simply go to waballet.com.au and follow the prompts.

annual GivinG

waB Dancers. Photo by emma Fishwick

Florence with waB Dancers. Photo by emma Fishwick

Meg Parry & Liam green in hold the Fourth. Photo by Sergey Pevnev

weSt aUStraLian BaLLet’S LegaCY FUnD iS naMeD aFter oUr FoUnDer, MaDaMe kira BoUSLoFF. BeQUeStS anD MaJor giFtS to thiS FUnD are USeD to ProviDe For the FUtUre oF weSt aUStraLian BaLLet.

iF YoU woULD Like inForMation aBoUt Leaving a LegaCY, PLeaSe ContaCt PhiLanthroPY Manager Catherine henwooD on (08) 9214 0707, ChenwooD@waBaLLet.CoM.aU or go to waBaLLet.CoM.aU > SUPPort > PLanneD giving.

LEAVE A LASTING LEGACy

WAB HAPPENINGS

Capital Campaign Patron,

Angela Bennett, visits the

ANGELA M.M.W. BENNEtt

GREEN ROOM, 11 November

2014.

Andrew & Nicola Forrest, Susy Bogle & guest

Marg Van Heurck, Aurélien Scannella & Anne Edwardes Charles & Patricia Galluccio

the company were excited to meet WAB's new Patron, H.E. the Hon. Kerry Sanderson AO, who visited the WABC for lunch on 23, February 2015.

WAB’s 2015 Young Artists are presented

with their scholarships at WABC on

9 March 2015.

Scholarship Patrons present WAB’s 2015 Young Artists’ awards on 9 March 2015.

Zip Zap Zoom Director’s Circle event at the Quarry, 14 February 2015

the Ouwendyk Family

B L A C K A N D W H I T E B A L L West Australian Ballet hosted a lavish Black and White Ball on Saturday, 28 March at the Centenary Pavilion in Claremont, where more than 400 guests enjoyed a spectacular evening under a candle-lit canopy styled by Rebecca Grace. The event included a sumptuous meal, special entertainment from the dancers and dancing for all throughout the night. A gala auction and raffle raised more than $170,000 towards WAB’s annual programmes and outreach projects. A very special thanks goes to all patrons and sponsors who supported the ball, as well as Lisa Barrett and the events committee for their sterling effort in coordinating the event.

Black and white Ball

Centenary Pavillion

Briar & greg Mogan, ann & robert edwardes

Centenary Pavillion reimagined

Company perform razzle Dazzle

Jim & Freda irenicChloe einicke & kymberleigh Cowley

134 Whatley Crescent, Maylands WA 6051PO Box 604, Maylands WA 6931T: (08) 9214 0707 F: (08) 9481 0710info@waballet.com.au waballet.com.au

Ben obst, Jessica allison-walker,

Phebe Sleeman & Jesse homes

John & eve Maiorano,

James & Sharon SmedleyClair Stanley , Christine & nicholas kailis