Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) has welcomed members from Italy’s Teatro alla Scala to Brisbane, ahead of the world-famous ballet company’s first Australian visit in its 240-year history for the 2018 QPAC International Series in November.
Teatro alla Scala General Manager Maria Di Freda and Ballet Director Frederic Olivieri, along with Star Principal Dancers Nicoletta Manni and Timofej Andrijashenko are visiting from Milan in the lead up to the company’s Brisbane-only performances of Rudolf Nureyev’s Don Quixote and Giselle. During their trip, the guests will be part of community events celebrating Italian National Day in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney and partaking in numerous media engagements. During the 2018 QPAC International Series, 115 of the company’s members, including 75 dancers, will take up residency in Queensland for three weeks in November, in a program celebrating Italian arts and culture on and off the stage.
QPAC Chief Executive John Kotzas said the International Series is about bringing the world’s best exclusively to Queensland and audiences across Australia would not want to miss it. “Teatro alla Scala Ballet Company is renowned for its great influence on dance in Europe; its precise artistic standards and the pristine technique of its dancers will be strikingly evident in the two iconic stage classics it is performing at QPAC,” he said. Beyond its performances of Don Quixote and Giselle, Teatro alla Scala Ballet Company’s reach will be amplified by a program of events and activities including conversations, masterclasses, community participation projects, exhibitions, student access to dress rehearsals and more.
To coincide with the ballet star arrivals, Queensland Minister for the Arts Leeanne Enoch announced audiences in eight Queensland cities and towns had the opportunity to experience the company’s performance of Don Quixote via a free simulcast. “This is an opportunity of a life time and will be a major drawcard for interstate audiences during the Company’s Australian exclusive season in Brisbane,” said Mr Kotzas. Since its inaugural presentation in 2009, the QPAC International Series has welcomed some of the world’s finest performing arts companies – including Paris Opera Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and The Royal Ballet – with many of them making their Australian debuts. If you would like to watch a video for the upcoming event, head to 4101 TV.
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