Queensland Ballet Li’s Choice
Queensland Ballet Artistic Director Li Cunxin AO has chosen well. Li’s Choice opening night was sensational and kicked off with a bang.
Three stunning diverse performances from neo-classical to a deeply emotive contemporary dance with the finale a ragtime ballet piece. For ballet lovers, it was a gift and for people new to ballet, a perfect initiation to the dance that will inspire you to return.
The audience loved every athletic extravagant step, body and soul telling the story with movement to music. The aura from the dancers’ obvious joy returning to the stage after the damaging floods, was reflected throughout the theatre and touched every one of us.
Principal artists, Victor Estevez, Lucy Green, Yanela Pinera, Joel Woellner and Neneka Yoshida lead the way in forming exquisite artistry as created by each clever choreographer.
The Performances
We began with Greg Horsman’s Glass Concerto, awed by the dancers’ precision and kinetic movement as the score escalated in intensity in both score and choreography.
Following a short interval, Natalie Weir’s deep, contemporary piece We Who Are Left was emotional as the story was also taken from Lest We Forget in honour of the ANZAC soldiers of World War II. We all felt the feeling of loss, fear, pride and bravery throughout this performance.
And finally, with another short interval, we were transported into a vibrant ragtime environment with Elite Syncopations by Sir Kenneth MacMillan. It was high-spirited, funny and clever. The costumes were striking, every detailed stitch a work of art. The stage a stimulation of eye-catching colours, flamboyant piano and honky tonk music where the dancers took us on a happy fun loving journey.
Coming up
Seasons Tickets are also available with more stunning performances for 2022 beginning in July: Peter and the Wolf, Bespoke, Queensland Ballet Academy Gala, Manon, Moonlight Ballet and The Nutcracker.
Welcome back Queensland Ballet.
On the birth of her two grandsons, Ruth Greening experienced an awakening in her life and entering Gen GP (Generation Grandparent) she was given the moniker Nanny Babe as her ‘grandmother’ title. She found things had changed since her child rearing days, and an adjustment to new parenting concepts was required. Hence the birth of the Nanny Babe blog from a baby boomers perspective.
Ruth holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology & Philosophy, completing this degree while working as a hairdresser and supporting her two children as a single mother. Ruth has worked in the corporate world for approximately thirty years and has recently retired to address her artistic passions.
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