50. Dancers are artistic athletes

Dancers are true artists. Once thought impossible to become an inanimate object when you’re older, is proven false by dancers as they all imitate literal feathers. If you were to ask me from birth until the age of 12, what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would have told you I wanted to be a ballerina. My peace was found in the weekly dance classes and clinics held by The Australian Ballet in my rural hometown. That’s why I was overjoyed to watch two shows by The Australian Ballet over the last two weeks.

Nijinsky is a powerful story about 20th-century ballet choreographer Vuslav Nijinksy and his schizophrenia diagnosis. propels this ballet into the creation of the versions of his life playing out before his eyes.

During the show, it was clear how enveloped he was by his history and how his mind presented a dream-like state for his reality. On stage, the dancers retell a story of involuntary self-involvement and internal conflict. Although you may be unfamiliar with Nijinsky before the first act, by the interval the narrative is set and you’re on the edge of your seat.

Dance and theatre represent art like nothing else: they make it seem effortless, despite their inevitable fatigue five minutes into an eleven-minute routine. Their breathless moves are fueled by strategic breathing. Tense muscles hold their posture and arabesque effortlessly. They are tired but tired from doing what they love. They’ve worked for these performances, to be selected and represent a centuries-old art form to the modern audience.

Carmen is a ballet for those of you who say you aren’t interested in the ballet. Carmen and her enchanting charm feed off of anticipation and seduction. The show was sexy and humorous. Individualistic and frankly entertaining.

Trust me when I say you’ll get to the interval and wish you could just press play, eagerly anticipating more. The costumes are simple yet effective, the choreography intricate and aqua-like: the dancer's movements work together in synchronicity as if they are trickling water; melting into, towards, and away from each other simultaneously. 

The dancer’s physicality is on full display, whether it be the female dancers stripping their dresses down to bunch around their waists, or the males holding up a fellow male dancer for over a minute, creating the illusion of a floating ghost. With such success this season, it would be remiss of you to let another visit of the Australian Ballet production pass you by.