change city
- Adelaide
- Brisbane
- Canberra
- Darwin
- Hobart
- Melbourne
- Perth
- Sydney

International Gala 2008

From Brisbane to the Netherlands, a range of cherished performances come together for a retrospective of the last decade in ballet.

Event Details

Event Type:

Ballet

Editorial Review

8-10 August 2008
Playhouse - QPAC
Cnr Grey St & Melbourne St, South Brisbane

Each year the Queensland Ballet holds the International Gala, a showcase of some of the most mesmerising ballet acts currently holding the world's attention in their grasp. 2008 is a particularly significant year, heralding a decade under the nurturing hand of artistic director Francois Klaus.

To celebrate the occasion, Klaus has picked his most cherished acts from the past 10 years and has summoned some of the globe's freshest talent - as yet unwitnessed on our shores - and invited them to strap on their ballet slippers and head on over to Brisbane.

A magnificent list has responded in the affirmative, including Holland's Zoran Markovic from Nederlands Dans Theater, Masa Kolar from Compagnia Aterballetto Emilia Romagna in Italy, the freelance choreographer and dancer Leo Mujic and artist Ilja Louwen. The gala also marks the debut for the South Africa Ballet Company's finest exponents, Zenia Tatcheva and Christian Tachev.

The night takes a percussive turn with a performance by Kevin Man and Kerryn Joyce from TaikOz. Those present at their 2003 performance will remember their pulsating fusion of the ancient Japanese art of taiko drumming with their own contemporary influences. The greatest honour, however, is reserved for choreographer Nils Christe. One of the most revered choreographers in the world, Christe comes to the International Gala to put the 23-strong Queensland Ballet through their paces: the performance of his acclaimed piece, Purcell Pieces. As one of Australia's three full-time professional ballet companies, there is no doubt the results will be nothing short of spectacular.

Kilian David