 This month Queensland Ballet launched The
Ballet Boys Project, a series of initiatives designed to explore and address the decline of boys in ballet and dance.
Since 2020, Queensland Ballet Academy has seen a 36% decline in male enrolments, a downward trend that Christian TÃ tchev, Director of Queensland Ballet Academy, observes is evident across the professional training industry globally. Queensland Ballet Executive Director Dilshani Weerasinghe said the company is taking the decline seriously by taking a market leading stand and addressing what is potentially a sustainability issue for the artform. “As such, we are encouraging the dance and broader community to join this movement with us to ensure the tradition of ballet – although ever evolving, lives on with strong participation from male dancers,” Mrs Weerasinghe said. The company has established a The Boys in Ballet Committee to identifying the roadblocks and take action to address the issue. As the first initiative of The Ballet Boys Project, Queensland Ballet is offering free weekly classes to boys aged 11 – 14, at the homes of Queensland Ballet (West End) and Queensland Ballet Academy (Kelvin Grove). “Our hope is that this new initiative will give
male students the opportunity to forge new friends, enjoy a safe and
encouraging environment and be inspired by other boys and men pursuing
their love of dance in our incredible facilities. “This initiative aims to remove barriers for boys wanting to take ballet classes by fully subsidising classes at no cost, with no uniform requirements, and no audition required. “We’ve had boys coming to these classes which are focussed on male-specific ballet technique, from Coffs Harbour, the Gold and Sunshine Coasts and even Yeppoon. “We aim to foster a unique opportunity to bring together boys who are enjoying ballet in the community sector, sometimes as the only boy in their class and learn from leading professional male teachers. Students will enjoy the following benefits:
To celebrate the launch, male dancers within the company were asked what inspired them to start dancing. Company Artist Callum Mackie said he didn’t have a sport when he was younger and was inspired after watching his sister at her ballet concert. “I didn’t have a chosen sport, and thought, I could give that a go. So, I tried out contemporary, tap, jazz, hip hop, musical theatre, classical and kept things rolling from there. I really enjoyed it.” For Jette Parker Young Artist Joseph Moss, his mother’s dance studio was part of day-to-day life. “I grew up with it around me, and so it inevitably became part of my life.” Company Artist Lewis Formby’s parents were looking for a way to channel their son’s exuberant energy. “I did it because my sisters did it. I’m still here 20 years later,” he said. And Jette Parker Young Artist Jack Jones was literally banging down the door to join the classes when he was just 2 ½. “It was just my thing. My friends went to footy or something else and I went to ballet instead.” Students can register for the Ballet Boys classes here.
This year all funds raised at the annual giving day
will go towards the Queensland Ballet Academy and supporting the next
generation of artists.
Giving day is hosted on 8th of August, 2024. All donations on the day will be quadrupled, thanks to the generous support of visionary match donors.
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| Photo by David Kelley | ||
Written by Jake Goodall There is nothing better than heading to the theatre on a cold & rainy night to watch a gothic play about a haunting, and Tugun Theatre's recent production of The Haunting proved there is still a space for horror ghost plays in the world. Based on the Charles Dickens Novel (and adapted by Hugh Janes), the story follows a young book dealer, David Filde, when he is employed by a former associate of his uncle to catalog a private library, he finds an incredible array of rare and antiquated books. But as a series of strange and unexplained events conspire to keep Filde from his work, he realises that if he is to convince his skeptical employer that the mysterious phenomena he is experiencing are real, they must journey together to the very edge of terror, and beyond. This reviewer was lucky to see the West End hit production The Women in Black recently at the Playhouse, QPAC which set the bar for horror ghost stories, and with the resources available to them...
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