One of Australia’s foremost living artists William Robinson will feature in Queensland Ballet’s student showcase Soirée this year.
Designed to highlight the artistic and technical skills of QB’s student Academy dancers, Soirée is now in its fourth year in collaboration with Philip Bacon Galleries.
The fusion of art, dance, plus live music from Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra – Camerata – has become a special event on the Brisbane arts calendar.
Mr Robinson is a figurative expressionist painter who has won two Archibald prizes, and his epic landscapes are internationally renowned.
Choreographers Paul Boyd and Louise Deleur have been working on showcasing the artistic and technical skills of the Level 1 Classical and Contemporary Course and Pre-Professional program.
Mr Boyd said he enjoyed highlighting the strengths and personalities of each dancer.
“The dancers are aged 16-17 so they’re still finding themselves,” he said.
“I give them the freedom to discover themselves and they are willing to do whatever they can do to make this happen.”
“These days the choreography is a collaborative effort. I’m in my 60s now, but when I first started 30 years ago, I used to go away, choreograph the entire dance myself and then come back and teach it to the dancers.
“Now, I say, give me something that looks like this, and then they will interpret that. The overall standard of the dancers is fantastic.”
Ms Deleur said choreographing a piece with the dancers was like creating a piece of visual art.
“It’s like making a painting. Almost beat-by-beat, I use the dancers like my pencils, and I draw something, and then go ‘let’s add something else over there’,” Ms Deleur said.
In selecting which of Mr Robinson’s artwork would accompany her dance pieces, Ms Deleur said she looked for works that she connected with.
“I chose the landscapes – they reflect a feeling that you get when you’re out in nature. They represent that beauty and stillness,” she said.
Mr Boyd said this year his choreographed pieces would have a French narrative running through them.
He has selected artworks from Robinson’s etchings and lithographs, including Feeding the Birds which he said immediately took him to Paris.
“Once I had made my selection of the art, I found out he was influenced by French artists, especially Matisse, and in the 1970s he exhibited in Paris,” Mr Boyd said.
Mr Boyd has chosen French composer Ravel to accompany his pieces.
“The art was the number one inspiration, and then the music provides the atmosphere to match the art,” Mr Boyd said.
“I always try to pick beautiful music. For instance, if the art has an ugly side, then it should have ugly music to go with it, but there is still always an underlying beauty in the music and the art – there must be an aesthetic to it, and not just be ugly for the sake of ugly.”
Soirée will run from December 5-7 at the Talbot Theatre, Thomas Dixon Centre. There are limited tickets still available. Visit https://academy.queenslandballet.com.au/performances/academy24/soiree-24
