By Rhys Ryan One year after Lucas Jervies’ gladiatorial epic Spartacus, audiences of the Australian Ballet were again thrust into the wonders of the ancient world. This time, brutality and hypermasculinity were replaced with an intricate plot of heroism and triumph in the company’s co-production with Houston Ballet, Sylvia, which had its Australian premiere at
by Jordan Beth Vincent For longtime patrons of the Australian Ballet, there has only ever been one Spartacus. Back in 1990, principal artist Steven Heathcote’s performance in the ballet was the height of drama and masculinity — his image (powerfully muscular and wearing a leather loincloth and harness) used to promote the company’s tour to
by Jordan Beth Vincent For the first time, the city of Melbourne hosted Asia TOPA (Asia-Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts), a massive event across three months, beginning in January, designed to celebrate contemporary art, performance, food and culture. Artists from China, Japan, India, Indonesia and Korea, among others, performed in Melbourne across a wide array