Surprises for Queensland Ballet Dancers

Dancers from Queensland Ballet got a big surprise yesterday when the Company delivered a portable ballet barre and some Tarkett flooring, custom-made for them to use at home while the Queensland Ballet facilities are closed.

It’s a major challenge for ballet dancers to keep fit when they are not working. In order for them to practice while in isolation, so that they are able to leap back onto stage once the COVID-19 pandemic is finally over, Queensland Ballet came up with the idea of building a special barre for each dancer to use at home.

“Our dancers have short careers, they are very motivated, their bodies are primed for performance to engage with their audiences. The fact that they can’t come in and do class is not a holiday for them. They will be going through grief and anxiety and [wondering] what does this mean for me for my wellness and career,” Queensland Ballet’s Executive Director Dilshani Weerasinghe tells Limelight.

“So one of our team, Lucas Gilroy who heads up our Experiences and Place department, said, ‘look, we have some off-cuts from our...