Ballet galas are often like a highlights reel – a chance to show off the most crowd-pleasing moments. Signature Works, assembled by Artistic Director David Hallberg for The Australian Ballet, is much more than that. Performed with live accompaniment by Orchestra Victoria under the baton of Jonathan Lo, this program offers a deeper look at ballet’s past, present, and future through the lens of the company’s repertoire.
This thoughtfully curated program brings together some of the company’s most loved classical works, bold contemporary choreography, and a brand-new commission, offering audiences a chance to see inside the DNA of ballet. Each programmed work speaks to the next, creating a journey rather than a sequence of isolated highlights.
Whether you’re a long-time ballet lover or stepping into the theatre for the first time, Signature Works is Hallberg’s invitation to experience ballet’s broad and enduring appeal performed by The Australian Ballet’s inpeccable artists in one captivating evening.
The program opens with George Balanchine’s Ballet Imperial, a work that blends classical tradition with clarity and speed. Set to Tchaikovsky, it’s big, richly musical, and unapologetically technical. As an opening statement, it establishes The Australian Ballet’s technical excellence – a hallmark of Hallberg’s directorship.
From there, the mood softens into the iconic Kingdom of the Shades from La Bayadère. Famous for its hypnotic procession of the corps de ballet, this excerpt showcases precision, shared breath, timing, and spatial harmony.
If the opening works are about grace and control, the middle of the program leans into excitement and sheer virtuosity. It marks a turning point – the moment where classical ballet shifts from idealised form into grand technical spectacle.
The Grand Pas Classique pas de deux is a crowd favourite for a reason. It’s fast, fearless, and designed to push dancers to their limits of technical precision.
That sense of daring continues with the Flames of Paris pas de deux, a fiery and triumphant work that energetically celebrates partnering with lifts, powerful footwork, and high-flying jumps.
Then comes Grande Tarantella with a joyful burst of energy driven by infectious music. Playful and bright, it’s a reminder that ballet can be fast, fun, and full of personality. It’s been a staple in the company’s repertoire for more than 50 years.
A striking shift in Signature Works program arrives with Morpheus’ Dream by German choreographer Marco Goecke, presented as an Australian premiere. Goecke’s choreography is intense. Sharp gestures, rapid changes, and an underlying sense of inner tension, amplified by the accompaniment of “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga, disrupt traditional ballet expectations. For the duet, the dancers are required to focus inward and display a willingness to unsettle into Goecke’s distinctive style.
Its inclusion in the gala is deliberate and shows the depth and breadth of the company. Rather than treating contemporary ballet as a simple juxtaposition or contrast to its classical heritage, Signature Works positions Goecke’s work as an essential part of the conversation, a reminder that ballet’s evolution has not been smooth or comfortable but shaped by disruption as much as classical continuity.
The evening closes with a new commission by Telstra Emerging Choreographer Yuiko Masukawa whom we spoke to in the midst of rehearsals. For Masukawa to be commissioned for this work is an honour. “This opportunity is really big for me and very important to me, so I wanted to treasure every moment and be present,” Masukawa tells Dance Informa. “And that became my concept.”
Working with four company artists (Henry Berlin, Jeremy Hargreaves, Amy Ronnfeldt and Alexandra Walton), Masukawa has taken that notion of being In the Present Moment (working title) and used it to inform her choreography.
“As dancers, when we are on a stage, we have to be so focused, and we have to feel everything around us,” she says. “We are expert at being present.”
The intention is to bring that focus into the rehearsal room to connect more deeply with the company dancers at her disposal, to celebrate their individual voices, and to reflect a time where dancers are prized more and more for their individuality, alongside their impeccable technique or their ability to blend seamlessly within the corps. When asked whether the work might be different if restaged with different dancers, Masukawa enthusiastically agrees. This is clearly the beauty of the work for her. It is about the moment, and in her words, it’s a “living” thing. It is making ballet in a contemporary way. A way that she hopes audiences can embrace and enjoy being present in the moment, also.
Ending the program with a contemporary commission this way is a powerful statement from Hallberg: ballet isn’t just about preserving and celebrating iconic masterpieces but also about artistic exploration and creating new, great works. It reflects that he sees The Australian Ballet’s role not only as custodian of tradition but as an active contributor to ballet’s future.
More than anything, Signature Works celebrates range. A range of styles, emotions, and possibilities, and reflects what it is to be a major ballet company today. It presents the art form of ballet as something living, moving and adaptable, and in this greatest hits format of a Gala, it makes sense of the development of the art form in a way that’s really accessible to all audiences.
Signature Works will be performed at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre on Saturday 28 February at 1.30pm and 7.30pm, and Sunday 1 March at 6.30pm. Head to Australianballet.com.au/performances/signature-works to find out more and purchase tickets.
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