The Royal Ballet leaps from QPAC to Cairns

Tonight the acclaimed Royal Ballet will give a special one-night-only performance in Cairns as part of the QPAC International Series, bringing the world’s best performers to regional Queensland. The Gala Performance will take place at the Munro Martin Parklands at 4 p.m.

Representing the Premier and Minister for the Arts Annastacia Palaszczuk, Member for Barron River Craig Crawford said this unique event meant north Queenslanders would enjoy a live outdoor performance from one of the world’s finest ballet companies right on their own doorstep.

“It’s a coup for Queensland to secure The Royal Ballet’s Australian premiere season at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC). Now we have done one better and secured a special Gala Performance in Cairns for north Queenslanders,” Crawford said. “This delivers on my commitment to keep bringing world-class performers to Queensland, including to our regional areas, and to provide cultural tourism experiences that have real economic benefits.”

The Gala Performance, featuring around 15 of The Royal Ballet company’s dancers – including Principal Dancers Marianela Nuñez, Edward Watson and Australian Alexander Campbell, and fellow Australian dancer Calvin Richardson – includes a special series of short solo and pas de deux works, including moments from Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Le Corsaire and Don Quixote.

“The dancers will be accompanied on stage by four musicians – two pianists from The Royal Ballet and a violinist and cellist,” Crawford noted.

The Gala Performance in Cairns follows The Royal Ballet’s two Australian-premiere works, Woolf Works and The Winter’s Tale, performed exclusively at QPAC from June 29 to July 9 in Brisbane. The Mayor of Cairns Regional Council, Councillor Bob Manning, said he was delighted The Royal Ballet would perform at the Munro Martin Parklands.

 “We feel this beautiful venue will provide the ideal backdrop for this special outdoor performance,” Councillor Manning said. “I’d like to thank the Queensland Performing Arts Centre and the Queensland Government for their support in bringing members of The Royal Ballet to Cairns. We hope this represents an ongoing partnership to share world-class events in our region.”

QPAC Chief Executive John Kotzas said a key aim of the QPAC International Series was to offer a broad range of opportunities for community engagement both in Brisbane and across Queensland.

“Big events such as bringing The Royal Ballet to Queensland are a huge undertaking for QPAC and we want as many people as possible to experience and engage with this renowned company while they are here,” Kotzas said.

The Cairns performance will also feature presentations by QPAC’s 2017 International Series “We All Dance” participants. As part of these community workshops, six local groups will perform their pieces, including Biddigal Performing Arts, ARC Disability Services, PCYC Cairns, Centacare, Trinity Bay High School and 3M Pride.

The “We All Dance” community workshops were held back in March by Royal Ballet Teaching Artists David Pickering and Elizabeth Foster. Participants experimented with everything from hip-hop to ballet, finding new avenues for self-expression and collaboration. This resulted in the creation of these new short dance pieces.

In addition to the “We All Dance” participants’ presentations, the Gala will feature NAISDA (National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association) Dance College students dancing Sand to Stage.

To book general admission tickets last minute to this special one-night-only outdoor event, head to www.ticketlink.com.au or call 1300 855 835.

Following the dance performances, Game III of the State of Origin series will be broadcast live on the park screens in the Munro Martin Parklands from 8 p.m. Come and make a night of it with your family!