White Nights Ballets

Photo by Caol Robinson

PRESENTER’S INFORMATION

By the Victorian State Ballet

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Contents

COMPANY PROFILE ................................................................................................. 3

ABOUT THE SHOW .................................................................................................. 3

PERFORMANCE SPECIFICS ....................................................................................... 7

AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT ....................................................................................... 8

MARKETING ............................................................................................................. 9

PRODUCTION DETAILS .......................................................................................... 11

CONTACTS ..............................................................................................................12

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COMPANY PROFILE The Victorian State Ballet was stablished in 2003 as the Melbourne Dance Theatre and in 2015 re-launched to reflect a new mission and vision for the company. The Victorian State Ballet is Victoria's unique premier ballet company, boasting a rich and diverse repertoire from full length grand classical ballets and innovative contemporary dance works. Artistic Directors Michelle & Martin Sierra decided to ground the company on high quality ballets to reach local, regional & interstate communities. Victorian State Ballet is very pleased to be based in Melbourne and be part of Australia's finest arts city and home town of diverse classical arts. The Victorian State Ballet is a vibrant & creative company, home to some of Australia's finest dancers in the country, that with hard work have earned international recognition. The Victorian State Ballet’s new mission is to connect people and dance across Victoria & Interstate/Australia by offering a program of classical repertoire ballets, exhilarating contemporary dance works and educational workshops. The Victorian State Ballet is devoted to the pursuit of artistic excellence, dance education, presentation of outstanding classical ballet repertoire and innovative neo-classical & contemporary dance works.

ABOUT THE SHOW SHOW SYNPOSIS White Nights Ballets is a highly entertaining program of outstanding neo-classical and contemporary ballet works, performed by Victoria’s leading Ballet Company. Featuring four innovative ballets, White Nights is a collaboration of choreographies of which Giselle II was first performed in December 2000 through to the premier of Tango Ballet, Symphonic Ballet & Concerto in 2010, 2014 and 2016.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Energetiks for providing costumes and shoes for the company artists, Bloch for supporting shoes for the dancers, Eltham Physiotherapy for their generous yearly donation, Dr Sophie Bittinger for her financial sponsorship.

BIOGRAPHIES

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THE COMPANY – KEY PEROFRMERS

Robyn Begg – Principal Artist

Scottish-born Robyn Begg immigrated to Australia in 2001 and began her Russian Vaganova classical ballet training at Dance Venture Ballet School with Renate Cumalkovs. After graduating from the specialist ballet program at John Curtin College of the Arts she began full time training with Ms Beth James at The Conservatoire in Western Australia. Soon her great talent was recognized and was offered a contract with the West Australian Ballet performing Ivan Cavallari's Nutcracker and Pinnochio. Thanks to Robyn’s unique artistry and classical technique, Robyn was discovered by the Queensland Ballet and in 2013 Robyn accepted a contract to dance soloist roles in classical and contemporary repertoire. That year, her incredible talent came across Martin Sierra, director of the Victorian State Ballet and by 2014 Robyn was offered the position of principal artist. Soon her performance as Odile and Odette in Michelle Sierra’s Swan Lake, has gained her the recognition of critics and audiences as one of Australia’s most talented new comers. Robyn’s portrayal of the role Giselle is sincere & deeply moving.

Michael Braun – Principal Artist

Michael Braun has had an illustrious career dancing throughout the world. From Australia and New Zealand through America, Canada, Europe, South Africa and China, Michael has been engaged by such prestigious companies as Netherlands Dance Theatre and The Royal Swedish Ballet and danced alongside 1st soloists from the Marinsky Ballet and Bolshoi Ballet. He has appeared in several galas and

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performed as a guest artist and principal dancer with the West Australian Ballet, South African Ballet Theatre and many others. As a student Michael achieved the RAD Solo Seal and was awarded the SODA scholarship before beginning his career in 1998 to work with the Queensland Ballet as a soloist and moving on to The Royal New Zealand Ballet as a principal dancer in 2005, where he remained until 2010. To the Victorian State Ballet, Michael brings experience and knowledge and the love of performing the classic ballet, Giselle. Michael is the proud father of three children. Career highlights include Romeo & Juliet, Peer Gynt, Giselle, Swan Lake, Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Nutcracker, and A Million Kisses to My Skin.

Katie Hurst-Saxton – Principal Artist New Zealand born and trained, Katie was offered a full contract at the age of 16 with The Royal New Zealand Ballet, whilst performing as an extra Swan for their season of Swan Lake. Since then she has had a 9 year career with the RNZB touring to the UK, China, the USA and Australia, as well as regular tours of NZ. She has had the privilege of dancing the Principal roles in Coppelia, Giselle, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Romeo and Juliet, and Odette/Odile in Swan Lake as well as featured roles in Carmen, Madame Butterfly, Dracula, Milagros and many other productions. Katie has worked with many major choreographers including Christopher Hampson, Javier De Frutos, Michael Pink, David Dawson and Didy Veldman. Katie is now principal artist at Victorian State Ballet. Jack Gibbs – Principal Artist

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Melbourne-born Jack Gibbs began his dance training at Hawthorn Studio of Dance under Susan Sargison. After a very successful athletic career and great AFL potential, Jack’s passion for ballet took off and gained him recognition as one of Australia’s new youth talents. In 2012, Jack began full-time classical ballet training at Dance World Studios in South Melbourne where he heard of the Vaganova training offered at the Ballet Theatre of Australia (BTA). Under Leanne Rutherford’s training, Jack became principal soloist of the Pre-Professional Company. In 2014, Li Cunxin, director of the Queensland Ballet, Jack was offered a position. There Jack was involved in a number of ballets with the company throughout the year including ballet roles in Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet and various original pieces by resident choreographers. Since then Jack has being guesting and performing a great number of original ballet and contemporary pieces around Australia. Jack’s impeccable ballet technique has earned him the praise of major critics in Australia

and in 2015 Jack became the principal artist of the Victorian State Ballet.

Rebekah Petty – Principal Artist Born in Wellington, New Zealand, Rebekah began her training under Kahlia Mehmet at Premiere Dance Elite on the Central Coast, NSW. In 2010 she was accepted into the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in Perth and shortly after was offered a young artist contract with the West Australian Ballet in October 2011. Rebekah moved to Melbourne in 2013 and has performed with Melbourne Ballet Company. She joined The Victorian State Ballet (formerly Melbourne Dance Theatre Company) in October 2013 and performed as a soloist in MDTs ‘Nutcracker’ in the Spanish dance and as Drosselmeyer’s assistant. Rebekah has since performed in ‘Gabriel’ for MDT’s 2014 Adelaide Season, ‘Concerto’, ‘Tango Ballet’ and as a soloist in ‘Swan Lake’, and more recently, in the leading role as Myrtha - Queen of the Wilis in Giselle. Other career highlights include dancing the lead Russian girl in George Balanchine's 'Serenade' for her graduating performance at WAAPA and dancing the principal role in Reed Luplau's 'The 6th Borough' for the West Australian Ballet, the mother in VSB’s recent season of Cinderella. We are proud to celebrate Rebekah as Principal Artist in the role of Kitri for VSB’s production of Don Quixote.

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KEY PERFORMERS AND ROLES: Jack Gibbs – Principal Artist Michael Braun – Principal Artist Robyn Begg – Principal Artist Katie Hurst-Saxton – Principal Artist Rebekah Petty – Principal Artist

PERFORMANCE SPECIFICS DURATION Act 1 – 45mins Interval – 20mins Act 2 – 45mins

SUITABLE VENUES This show is suitable for outdoor venues, traditional theatres and halls

MAXIMUM NUMBER OF PERFORMANCES PER WEEK 4-6 performances per week MINIMUM BREAK BETWEEN PERFORMANCES 2 hours minutes APRA OBLIGATIONS APRA Licence TOURING PERSONNEL The touring party consists of 4 people.

Name Role

Martin Sierra Director/Light designer

Michelle Sierra Director/stage manager

Sharon Meagher Front of house, co-ordinator

Gordon Mann Stage Technicial

PERFORMANCE HISTORY

Year Venue Number of performances

2001 Whitehorse Centre 2

2010 360 Centre 1

2014 White Elephant Theatre 2

2016 Darebin Arts Centre 2

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AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT OVERVIEW

Behind the scenes Behind the scenes educational programs at VSB are informative sessions focused on developing closer relationships with audiences by engaging them into the behind the curtain/backstage processes of how dancers prepare for the production they are about to see. This includes inviting registered patrons into viewing company warm up class onstage, short Q & A session after warm-up where patrons have opportunity to ask questions directly to the dancers, photos with the cast and short backstage tours. During warm-up class, we give commentary on what the dancers need to prepare their bodies for performance. As class progresses, each exercise is broke down, describing exactly what the dancer is doing for the audience to understand the training preparation processes.

Q & A Sessions Q & A sessions are a fantastic way to connect with audiences and get some insight into what they like to see and their expectations. Young members love to express their aspirations in becoming a professional dancer and also parents may often seek information for their sons & daughters who are interested in dance. Q & A time is generally after warm-up on stage where patrons have opportunity to ask their questions directly to the dancers. Some examples are: How long have you been dancing, How old is the lead ballerina, How long does it take to put together a ballet, How many hours per day does a dancer work, How do you sew ribbons on pointe shoes, What ballet will you bring next year, How can my son be engaged in dance (parents) And more…

Backstage tours Up close and personal – back stage dressing room tour to see how the dancers apply their make-up, hair, pointe shoes & costumes for the performance. Great time for program signing and photos also.

Meet the Cast Meet the cast is so popular and so much fun. This takes place on stage at the end of performances. The cast remains on stage after the curtain closes and registered patrons assemble at a specific place in the auditorium whilst it is clearing. The curtain re-opens and patrons are lead onto stage to meet the cast, have programs signed and a photo opportunity with the cast and their favourite character/dancer. Signed pointe shoes by the leading ballerina are given away.

Workshops Workshops are a wonderful way to engage audience to be directly involved with the choreographer and performers. This gives a wonderful insight and appreciation into behind the scenes of dance and the style of the show being performed. VSB is passionate about connecting with communities through dance/fitness and movement

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workshops, providing a platform to grow appreciation, education and promoting creativity and health within local communities. VSB is available to travel and give a range of 2 hour workshops to meet audience needs prior to the performance schedule

DESCRIPTION / DETAILS Participants need to wear loose comfortable clothing and footwear (socks and sneakers) and bring a water bottle and notepad. Participants will engage in a series of basic movement activities which promote health and give insight into the world of creative dance. These are for general audiences from beginner levels. Ballet workshops are also available at request.

COST We do not charge for workshops – participants must be ticket holders to our shows. TARGET AUDIENCE FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Suitable to general audiences from 8years to senior, beginner to professional.

MARKETING MARKETING COPY One line A highly engaging and entertaining program of outstanding neo-classical & contemporary ballet works

Short Provide a short marketing copy (100 words) Extended Provide an extended marketing copy (300 words) MARKETING SUMMARY Social Media – face book ads, sharing, tagging, Instagram, tweets, email outs, newsletters, newspaper ads have all been highly successful marketing tools. Poster, flyers, mail-outs including featuring ‘Behind the Scenes Community Engagement’ has also been a great marketing tool receiving good response from parents of aspring young dancers. MEDIA QUOTES ‘I adored every second and was completely overwhelmed’ Dance Informa ‘This demonstrated the absolute power Victorian State Ballet has over the creative dance Industry in Australia’ Dancetrain ‘Every aspect of the performance excelled, a work to remember for years to come’ Dance Australia ‘Passion, energy and elegance, a sheer delight! Well crafted and beautifully choreographed by Michelle Sierra with passion, energy and elegance, a sheer delight!’ Adelaide

VIDEO LINKS Yes there is footage available

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IMAGES

TANGO BALLET BY Martin Sierra

GISELLE II BY Martin Sierra

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MARKETING MATERIALS Posters, flyers, promo clips/footage, media release, images CONTENT WARNINGS / AUDIENCES TO AVOID NO SPONSOR OR OTHER ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS YES

- Eltham Physiotherapy Centre - Bloch Dancewear - Energetiks - Periscope Consulting - Sansha

TEACHER’S RESOURCES YES

PRODUCTION DETAILS TECHNICAL SUMMARY Laying Tarkett floor, taping down, plotting lights

EXAMPLE SCHEDULE Bump-in floor – 1 hour Light Plot – 1.5 hours Spacing on stage – 1 hour Dress rehearsal – 90mins Performance Bump-out – 30mins

CREW REQUIRED FROM VENUE Lighting technician – plotting lights Stage technician – to assist with flying wings up, laying tarkett STAGE Flexible in size. VSB to supply CD play back, dance tarkett, costumes Venue to supply PA System LIGHTING Standard lighting, specials, profiles

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Venue to supply Venue to supply a lighting tech for show plotting, standard light rig, specials, profiles SOUND CD Playback-recorded music

VSB to supply Music, can bring our own CD player

Venue to supply Venue to supply PA system including CD.

Venue to supply What do you need the venue to supply? We require the venue to supply a lighting technician to assist with plotting lights prior to the show. WARDROBE Simple wardrobe – white romantic tutus, black leotards, skirts, shirts VSB to supply We will supply our own dance tarkett floor to be laid on the stage. We will supply posters, flyers and any other media and material required for promotion. Venue to supply We require 2 dressing rooms. FREIGHT NOTES The Victorian State Ballet has its own truck. We require laying our dance tarkett which we bring with us. CRITICAL ISSUES The stage needs to be flexible to give the required and diverse effect for each ballet:

- Full dressed for Concerto Ballet & Symphonic Ballet - lighting bars lowered for Tango Ballet - Wings removed, raw stage, white Cyc visible only for Giselle II

CONTACTS Martin Sierra – Director 0416019620 Michelle Sierra – Director & General Manager 0416083732 Sharon Meagher - Publicity Email us at admin@victorianstateballet.org.au