Beyond the Swagger - Turning INXS into a Ballet

INXS songs are famous for their high-energy, rock-stadium swagger. How do you translate the raw, pulsing rhythm of rock music into the technical language of ballet?

The music demands movement that is dynamic, powerful and full of momentum. You can't escape that pulsating groove, it naturally drives the choreography and the dancers' physicality.

At the same time, theatre isn't a rock concert. A ballet audience experiences the work in a much more intimate setting, so you can't rely on relentless energy alone. You need moments of stillness, vulnerability and reflection to create contrast. That's what gives the high-energy moments their impact.

For me, it's about capturing the spirit of rock and roll while using the expressive language of ballet to reveal something deeper beneath the music.

I grew up with INXS, so this music is woven into my teenage years which I used to listen to on my Walkman. The dancers had no idea what a Walkman was!

When CDs first came out, INXS was one of the very first albums I owned, alongside artists like Madonna, George Michael and Sinéad O'Connor.

Listening to these songs again has been incredibly nostalgic. They transport me back to being 16 years old. At that age, INXS represented something incredibly cool, confident and slightly dangerous. Their music felt sophisticated, sensual and full of freedom, it was a world I admired from a distance.

That feeling has become part of the choreography. Rather than recreating the 1980s or 1990s, I'm trying to capture what INXS represented: the excitement of youth, the desire to belong, and the confidence we all aspire to. Those emotions are timeless, and they've been a constant source of inspiration throughout the creative process.

How did you connect this modern theme of "artifice versus authenticity" to the music of INXS?

I love storytelling, even when I'm not creating a traditional narrative. From the outset, the band was clear that they didn't want the production to focus on the life of Michael Hutchence, and I actually found that incredibly liberating as a choreographer. Rather than recreating a well-known story, I was free to explore themes that are relevant today.

Elegantly Wasted isn't about telling one person's story, it's about creating an atmosphere. We meet a group of young people in a hotel lobby all searching for connection and communication.

What fascinated me was the tension between the image we project and who we really are. We all present a version of ourselves that says, 'I'm fine. I've got everything together,' when underneath we may be feeling something completely different. That idea of artifice versus authenticity felt like a natural fit with the emotional depth and vulnerability that runs through so much of INXS's music.

The ballet explores that universal desire to be seen for who we truly are, rather than the façade we present to the world.

After directing the highly successful Coco Chanel: the Life of a Fashion Icon for Queensland Ballet, how did you approach the creative freedom of creating a non-narrative meditation on identity compared to a biographical piece?

With a narrative ballet like Coco Chanel, you're bringing established characters to life, so you're looking for those personalities within the dancers in front of you.

With Elegantly Wasted, it's different. The dancers become the characters. The music shapes who they are, and I'm looking for how each individual respond to it.

INXS' music isn't asking for perfect classical technique, it's asking for attitude and swagger. What I'm looking for is whether the dancers can embody that effortless rock-and-roll energy. Can they let go, take risks and own the stage in a different way? That's not always easy for classically trained dancers.

What was your first reaction when Queensland Ballet approached you to create a ballet inspired by INXS? Have you done ballets to rock music?

I had previously created a ballet to rock music, where the musician was performing live on stage with her band alongside 30 classical dancers. I loved the theatrical tension between the raw energy of a rock performance and the precision of classical ballet. That contrast created something really exciting.

When Queensland Ballet approached me about INXS the idea had already been evolving for several years. What immediately interested me wasn't simply choreographing to rock music, it was exploring our relationship with it.

Music has the power to evoke memories, emotions and identity, and I wanted to create a work that captures that connection rather than simply illustrating the songs. INXS's music has an incredible pulse and emotional honesty, which made it the perfect foundation for this ballet.

Working with an iconic band’s discography can be daunting. How did you decide which INXS tracks made the cut, and did you work closely with sound designer Jake Rodriguez on any reimagined arrangements?

Composer, Jake Rodriguez and I worked very closely to shape the musical journey. He's created original transitional music, re-orchestrated sections, adjusted instrumentation and, in some cases, shortened songs so they serve the choreography and the narrative rather than simply being played from beginning to end.

The challenge is that we're not creating a concert or a jukebox musical. We don't have the band on stage generating that incredible live energy, so we have to create a different kind of theatrical experience. It's about finding the right balance, honouring the drive, pulse and groove of the music while giving the audience moments to breathe. The score has to ebb and flow, allowing the choreography and storytelling to carry the emotional arc.

What did you choose Elegantly Wasted as the hero song and title?

The title fascinated me because it's more than just a song, it captures an attitude. There was a particular idea of what it meant to be cool, from the fashion to the confidence people projected. I remember trying to emulate that look myself.

Back in the 90’s women wore eye liner right around their eyes and it looked “so wasted”, but so cool. I tried it but it didn't work on me. I did try wearing black though. Oh, so cool. But what feels cool today is very different from what felt cool then.

So I asked the dancers: what does 'cool' mean today? Every generation has its own way of expressing identity, confidence and rebellion, and that's what I wanted to explore.

The title became a way of translating the spirit of INXS for today, using the drive and energy of rock and roll while reflecting the attitudes and aspirations of young people today.

For me, Elegantly Wasted isn't about looking backwards. It's about capturing that timeless search for identity, belonging and authenticity that every generation experiences.

Why do you think INXS continues to resonate with audiences more than 40 years after they emerged?

I told the dancers that INXS was the music of their parents. They were slightly shocked and then one of them pointed out that the music is everywhere again, in advertising, film and popular culture. It's finding a whole new audience.

But I think what really endures isn't just the music. It's what it represents. We live in an age where we're constantly communicating through our phones, yet we're often struggling to truly connect with one another.

That hasn't changed. As human beings, we're still drawn to authenticity. We still want to know who someone really is beneath the image they project. We all want to belong, to be accepted, even though making yourself vulnerable means risking rejection. That's part of growing up.

For me, that's why INXS still resonates. The music has incredible energy and confidence, but beneath it there's also vulnerability and longing. That's the emotional landscape of this ballet. It's a high-energy work with an underlying sense of melancholy, because it's ultimately about the courage to drop the façade and make a genuine connection.

The 1980s had a very distinctive sense of style and attitude. How have you honoured that era while making the work resonate with today's audiences?

INXS emerged from a time that felt incredibly liberating. There was a boldness to the music, the fashion and the way people expressed themselves. Gender boundaries were more fluid than people sometimes remember, and there was a confidence and playfulness that defined the era.

What interested me most wasn't reproducing the decade, but capturing that spirit of freedom and self-expression in a way that feels relevant now. As a female choreographer, I was very conscious not to simply reproduce the way women were often portrayed in that era.

For example, in the section set to Mediate, the women move almost as a collective force, more like an army than objects of desire. Their strength comes from their unity, confidence and presence, rather than being sexualised.

I hope that feels authentic to young women today while still capturing the rebellious spirit and energy that made INXS so iconic.

Is there any particular song that sparked your immediate choreographic ideas?

The first song Jake [Rodriguez] reworked was Never Tear Us Apart. When I heard his arrangement, I immediately thought, 'We can build an entire evening around this.'

Rather than simply playing the original recordings, Jake expanded the introduction, created transitions and reshaped the music in a way that opened up new choreographic possibilities.

It wasn't enough for me to just string together a collection of INXS hits, I wanted the score to feel like a cohesive theatrical journey.

Hearing what Jake had done with Never Tear Us Apart gave me complete confidence that we could create something much richer than a concert. It became the moment I knew this ballet could have its own unique voice.

Do you think this ballet will attract people who have never been to ballet before?

I certainly hope so. I think there will be two audiences meeting in the theatre. Queensland Ballet's regular patrons will be curious to see how a classical company interprets the music of INXS, while INXS fans may come simply because they want to experience those songs in a completely new way.

For me, that's the beauty of projects like this. They bring together people who might not otherwise cross paths. If rock fans discover ballet, and ballet lovers rediscover INXS, then we've created something truly special.

I hope people leave the theatre feeling uplifted, nostalgic and perhaps even seeing the music from a different perspective.

Queensland Ballet continues to commission bold contemporary works. Why do you think companies need to take artistic risks?

I believe ballet, like any art form, should reflect the society we live in. If we want it to remain relevant, we have to keep expanding our ideas of what classical ballet can be. It can embrace different aesthetics, different music and different ways of telling stories, while still remaining ballet.

Of course it's a risk, but I think that's healthy. Art only evolves when we're willing to step into the unknown. If we keep doing the same things in the same way, the art form stops growing.

As a choreographer, I prepare as much as I can, but I also leave space for discovery. I come into the studio with ideas, then I let the dancers, the music and the creative process shape the work. Some scenes I know immediately; others reveal themselves as we go. That's where the magic happens. You have to be open to being surprised, and that's what makes creating new work so exciting. 

Rapid fire questions

Favourite INXS song? Whatever I’m working on that day!

Most challenging song to choreograph? The Stairs.

One reason rock fans should come? If you're an INXS fan, you'll hear 14 iconic tracks that have become part of Australia's musical landscape.

One reason ballet lovers shouldn't miss it? If you love ballet, I hope this work reminds you that the art form is alive. I hope audiences come for the choreography, stay for the emotion, and leave hearing INXS in a completely different way.