If it is something uniquely Queensland the AFL is looking for to entertain the crowds this Grand Final, then it will not have to look much further than Queensland Ballet.
Motivated by a training session with the Brisbane Lions, the company has pulled together a compilation video which they have sent on to the AFL CEO Gillian McLachlan and Gold Coast Sun’s Chairman Tony Cochrane, who was integral in securing the game for Queensland. The tongue-in-cheek piece includes vision from the Lions training session, the football scene in the Company’s own production of Coppelia, and a reworked dance piece from this year’s show 60 Dancers:60 Stories.
Artistic Director Li Cunxin AO said it is an opportunity for AFL to make this year stand out. “Having ballet as part of the Grand Final entertainment would really be a point of difference. Queensland has a world class ballet company and I think we should be so proud of that,” he said. “We want to show off the athleticism of our dancers, which we think is mirrored in the game. We can clearly see the physical connection between ballet and AFL. Both require a high level of strength, athleticism and dedication to succeed at the highest level,” he said
Cunxin said he’d love the company to be part of the Grand Final. “This is a historic moment for the State, and in Queensland Ballet’s 60th Anniversary year we’d be so proud to be involved,” he said. And in the meantime, the company is barracking for the Lions to make Queensland’s Grand Final a homegrown success story.
To watch the video go to https://vimeo.com/456455251
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