Australia Dancing - Queensland Ballet, The (1960

Queensland Ballet, The (1960 - )

Hargreaves, Phil: Scene from Natalie Weir's 'Burning', the Queensland Ballet, 1995

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The Queensland Ballet, Australia's first professional state dance company, began its life as the Lisner Ballet a privately owned company established by Charles Lisner in 1960. The company gave its first program as the Queensland Ballet in 1962 although acknowledged the strength of its connection to the Lisner Ballet by celebrating its 21st anniversary in 1981. Lisner initially funded the Queensland Ballet by using the income from his Lisner Ballet Academy in Brisbane. Financial pressures caused the company to disband temporarily in July 1966 but by 1967 it had attracted a small subsidy from the Queensland government and it reformed in March 1968.

Lisner, as founding artistic director, established a policy of commissioning new works from Australian choreographers although the repertoire relied heavily on works choreographed by Lisner himself. Lisner's successor as artistic director was Harry Haythorne who took up the position in 1975. Haythorne's extensive experience in Europe meant that the repertoire expanded to include works by choreographers like Walter Gore, Peter Darrell and Kenneth MacMillan along with a repertoire of established classics, including works from the Danish master August Bournonville, plus commissions from Australian choreographers including Graeme Murphy, Don Asker, Garth Welch and Leslie White. Harold Collins replaced Haythorne in 1979 and introduced works from other Australians including Jacqui Carroll and Barry Moreland. He also choreographed many works for the company himself. The company's fourth artistic director, Francois Klaus, was appointed in 1997.

Bibliography:

The Ausdance Guide to Australian Dance Companies, 1994 (Canberra: AGPS, 1994), pp. 185-201

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