Media Release
19 September 2017
A number of Australia’s top ballet talent will appear on stage in Jakarta this week as part of Ballet.id’s Second Indonesian Ballet Gala on 23 September at Teater Jakarta.
This year’s Ballet Gala builds on the inaugural gala’s successful collaboration in 2015 and is an inclusive dance event featuring performances from several dancers with a disability.
“We are proud to bring two principal dancers from the Queensland Ballet to Indonesia. In recent years, we have seen a number of workshops and exchanges between Australian and Indonesian dancers, choreographers and administrators,” said Deputy Ambassador Bradley Armstrong.
A highlight of the Ballet Gala will be the performance by Marc Brew, a renowned Australian dancer and choreographer who performs in a wheelchair.
In preparation for the event, the Australian Embassy, Jakarta is presenting a screening the film Mao’s Last Dancer, based on the best-selling autobiography by Li Cunxin, who is currently the Artistic Director of Queensland Ballet.
The feature film chronicles the life story of Li Cunxin who became an internationally renowned dancer after being chosen by Chinese authorities to study ballet at the age of 11. He later moved to the United States and then Australia and performed as a Principal Artist with the Australian Ballet and Houston Ballet.
Li Cunxin, who plans to return to the stage after 18-year hiatus later this year, is also scheduled to give a master class in Jakarta for advanced Indonesian ballet dancers, sharing his valuable expertise as part of Dance Month in the Year of Australian Lifestyle campaign #AussieBanget.
Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kedubesaustralia/sets/72157689271447345
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