This is the first time Italy’s La Scala Ballet has performed in Oz in their 240-year history, and they’re only coming to Brisbane. The special Aussie performances will form part of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre’s International Series. As part of the tour, more than 75 dancers will swoop into Brisbane to perform two classical ballet productions – Don Quixote and Giselle.
The late Rudolf Nureyev’s Don Quixote is a signature performance of La Scala and is based on episodes from Cervantes’ classic novel. The characters on stage will transport you to Spain for a showcase of gypsy dances, windmills and matadors. Giselle, on the other hand, takes ballet into spooky territory as a story that flits between a sunny village and dark kingdom occupied by spirits. The Queensland Symphony Orchestra will perform the scores of both ballets.
To really get behind the two stories, the Queensland Performing Arts Centre will host a ‘Talking Italian’ series that brings in folks from academia, design and the La Scala Ballet to pull apart the performance themes in more detail.
The Teatro alla Scala ballet company dates back to 1778 and is one of the most prestigious ballet companies in the world, having contributed significantly to the development of the art form. QPAC is located in South Bank, Brisbane’s cultural precinct.