From the Artistic Director
François Klaus
Artistic Director and Chief Choreographer
Queensland Ballet is 50 years old.
This is a very respectable age for an Australian performing arts company, and quite a remarkable achievement. But what does being 50 years old really mean? Like a living organism, a ballet company is constantly changing. It is driven forward by the fundamental human love of dance. Dance harnesses the force of youth, and symbolises life, energy, and desire. When practised by a true artist, dance is an extraordinary instrument of expression. In dance, possibly more than in any other art form, the performer becomes a work of art in him or herself.
A passion for dance was the incentive which drove Charles Lisner to form a ballet company, and to nurture it through both good times and bad. As we celebrate Queensland Ballet’s 50th birthday, it is timely to remember the tremendous effort and work contributed by so many dancers, choreographers, ballet masters, designers, administrators, and technicians. Their common love of dance has ensured that the Company has grown and flourished.
My birthday wishes for Queensland Ballet are that it will grow stronger, and inspire love and support from audiences and artistic collaborators. In 2010, we will continue to pursue a stable and artistically rich environment for dancers and choreographers, in which discipline and inspiration go hand-in-hand, and where creativity thrives.
I hope you will join us for our 50th anniversary season.
