Summertime at the Ballet

Watch The Australian Ballet via Live on Ballet TV

February 25 – 28

The Australian Ballet will be back performing with the launch of its Summertime At The Ballet program being held for the first time at Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne between 25 – 28 February.

Can’t attend the show? In a different city? Ballet fans across the world can now get virtual front-row seats to the live-streamed performance of Summertime at Ballet with the launch of Live on Ballet TV. For the first time ever The Australian Ballet will live streaming a performance direct from the venue, with Live on Ballet TV – an exciting new way to experience The Australian Ballet in real-time from anywhere!

David Hallberg, Artistic Director of The Australian Ballet

The long-awaited Summertime at the Ballet will mark the company’s first performances after almost a year off stage, and also the launch of a new era under David Hallberg’s directorship.

Curated by The Australian Ballet’s new Artistic Director, David Hallberg, Summertime at the Ballet is a stunning display of ballet highlights throughout the centuries and will be a spectacle of impressive proportions. The artistry and versatility of the company’s dancers will shine in a selection from ballet’s most celebrated classics, new contemporary works and signature repertoire chosen to delight ballet lovers and new audiences alike. The program will include excerpts from Marius Petipa’s La Bayadère, Tim Harbour’s Filigree and Shadow, Steven Baynes’ Molto Vivace, George Balanchine’s Themes and Variations, Rudolf Nureyev’s Don Quixote, Ronald Hynd’s The Merry Widow, Alice Topp’s Logos and Lucas Jervies’ Spartacus. It will also feature Balanchine’s Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux.

“Summertime at the Ballet will be momentous for many reasons; firstly, it brings to life my first-ever showcase for the company I now have the privilege to lead; and secondly, it marks the moment our extraordinary dancers will showcase their artistry to audiences in almost 12 months. I have carefully selected these excerpts as they encompass the versatility of these artists through the beauty of dance. Performed in a new venue, it will highlight the company with a fresh angle, in Melbourne only,” said Hallberg.

The classics will take audiences on a journey through lavish early 20th-century Paris, with 20 dancers waltzing across the stage in The Merry Widow; to soul-stirring Spain, as two principal artists perform the technically demanding Act III pas de deux from Don Quixote; then to intoxicating India, where 24 dancers in white tutus will appear to float in the ethereal Kingdom of the Shades scene from La Bayadère. Audiences will be dazzled by the sumptuous costumes customary to traditional ballets.

Lovers of modern work will revel in the contemporary whip-fast choreography of Filigree and Shadow, performed to electro music by 48nord, and the raw emotion of a pas de deux from the newest work in the program, Alice Topp’s 2020 ballet Logos, set to a score by Ludovico Einaudi.

A perfect night out for families, dance-lovers as well as those seeing ballet for the first time, Summertime at the Ballet offers something for everyone at an accessible price point.

For the special price of $25, Summertime at the Ballet can be watched LIVE on Sunday 28 February at 11.45am AEDT or at your convenience over the following 48 hours. This special virtual performance includes exclusive bonus commentary from David Hallberg, plus live interviews and behind the scenes.

The live stream can be viewed via a link that will be emailed in advance and can be viewed on any device or cast to your smart TV. Buy a ticket for yourself or gift a ticket to someone you know would enjoy the show. Full information will be provided along with your link to view, 48 hours before the stream begins.

“This great initiative means we can share the magic of a live performance with more Australians as well as showcase the incredibly talented dancers we have here in Australia to ballet lovers globally,” said Hallberg.

The Australian Ballet are offering this once-in-a-lifetime gala spectacular for the special price of $25. Subscribers to the 2021 season receive a 10% discount.