Queensland Ballet needs a good news story. The embattled company has been shedding staff, dancers and public goodwill over the past year with a series of disasters beginning with the sudden departure of former artistic director Leanne Benjamin.
The appointment of Ivan Gil-Ortega has gone some way to mitigating the reputational damage but he has walked into a company in crisis with funding shortfalls. Meanwhile, redundancies are still playing out across the swish Thomas Dixon Centre at West End in Brisbane, the company’s headquarters.
So a good news story would be welcome and today they have one for us – the inking of a landmark three-year partnership with Experience Gold Coast and HOTA that will see the creation of three music-led world premieres exclusive to the Gold Coast.
The partnership launches in November with the debut of Elastic Hearts, a genre-defying dance experience choreographed and directed by Garry Stewart, featuring the music of global pop icon Sia, reimagined with cinematic power by Queensland Symphony Orchestra.
This collaboration unites two of the state’s most dynamic arts organisations in a shared commitment to pushing artistic boundaries, nurturing Australian talent and delivering unforgettable large-scale productions.
Former QB artistic director Li Cunxin started the relationship with HOTA a decade ago and the company has been performing there since 2016, so the relationship is well established. The new deal signals a powerful new era for contemporary performance on the Gold Coast, positioning the city as a leading destination for world-class cultural experiences.
“This three-year partnership marks a transformational moment for HOTA and the Gold Coast,” says Yarmila Alfonzetti, heads of Arts and culture at Experience Gold Coast. “It places the city on the national map as a major commissioner and presenter of new contemporary performance and offers our audiences direct access to some of the most exciting new works being made in Australia.”
Elastic Hearts is raw, radiant and unrelentingly human – a visually arresting production that explores nature, creativity and resilience through movement, sound and light. At its centre is the commanding figure of Gaia, a matriarchal spirit invoking the cycles of life in a performance that is both intimate and epic.
‘This production is the perfect launch of our new partnership as it stretches the boundaries of what ballet can be’
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Queensland Ballet artistic director Ivan Gil-Ortega says the partnership marks a powerful new chapter for the company.
“We’ve had a long-held wish to call the Gold Coast, home,” he says. “This production is the perfect launch of our new partnership as it stretches the boundaries of what ballet can be – emotionally, musically and culturally. With Sia’s music as our heartbeat in this first work, we’re diving into something raw, contemporary and full of feeling. And the Gold Coast, with its vibrant energy and creative pulse, is the perfect place to launch it.”
Sia (Adelaide born Sia Kate Isobelle Furler) says she is thrilled to be part of this exciting partnership.
“I’ve always believed in the power of movement and music to connect people on a deeper emotional level,” she says. “To see my music reimagined through the beauty of ballet is something truly special.”
There will be four performances of Elastic Hearts at HOTA, Surfers Paradise, November 6 to 8. To purchase tickets, visit shorturl.at/PzJvn