toursenlair Posted March 2, 2020 Share Posted March 2, 2020 Australian Ballet just announced this 10 minutes ago on their facebook feed BREAKING NEWS: David Hallberg will be the next artistic director of The Australian Ballet! This international dance star is currently a principal of American Ballet Theatre and Bolshoi Ballet, a principal guest at The Royal Ballet, and Resident Guest Artist of our company. We’re delighted that he’ll be bringing his unique vision, experience and leadership to this role. David has a long relationship with and admiration for our company, and we’re looking forward to welcoming him in 2021. and on Hallberg's fb feed Announced today in Melbourne, I am thrilled to share that I will become the next Artistic Director of The Australian Ballet The Australian Ballet starting January 2021. I am excited at the opportunity to finally realize an artistic vision and it feels like the right place and the right time to get to work doing so. I have had such amazing opportunities throughout my career and I am so ready to funnel that into a company I so love and respect. I have had a long 10 year history with the company, first as a Guest Artist, then using the expertise of the world renowned Medical Team (which was all explained in the book!) and finally as Resident Guest Artist. This appointment makes so much sense in many ways. It has been a long and eventful (to say the least) career and I have always known that the time will come where I take all of my absorbed experience and become an Artistic Director. This is the time. I can’t wait to realize my ambitious vision for the future of this essential art form with an institution that I so deeply love and respect. See you in Australia! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Wall Posted March 2, 2020 Share Posted March 2, 2020 (edited) Congratulations to Mr. Hallberg. Something tells me he may well be a very fine AD. Certainly his knowledge of balletic repertory as much as its history is considerable. He brings a life long passion with him to the Australian table. Edited March 2, 2020 by Bruce Wall 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted March 3, 2020 Share Posted March 3, 2020 Wow, I didn't expect that - although I didn't actually know that the post was up for grabs! Well, best of luck to him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DD Driver Posted March 3, 2020 Share Posted March 3, 2020 Congrats to him!!! I had heard his name amongst the possibilities but thought they would choose.... I trust however that the Board went for the best candidate for the job and look forward to exciting times ahead. Also grateful for the work and passion of David McAllister, the outgoing AD. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scheherezade Posted March 3, 2020 Share Posted March 3, 2020 Yes, congratulations to Mr Hallberg and, given the very special nature of the links between him and the Australian Ballet, may it prove a long and fruitful association for both. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted March 3, 2020 Share Posted March 3, 2020 Congratulations to Mr Hallberg! (Alison it was announced at least a year ago that David McAllister was retiring.) There’s a big feature about the appointment in the NY Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/02/arts/dance/david-hallberg-artistic-director-australian-ballet.html 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Macmillan Posted March 3, 2020 Share Posted March 3, 2020 The papers and Dance writers in Oz have also caught up - see today's Links. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candleque Posted March 3, 2020 Share Posted March 3, 2020 Now I’m really wishing I had a ticket for his Insight talk at the ROH 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNC Posted March 3, 2020 Share Posted March 3, 2020 42 minutes ago, Candleque said: Now I’m really wishing I had a ticket for his Insight talk at the ROH I wonder if the insight will be live streamed? The recent ones have been but I don't think one of the 'one on one' insights have been streamed yet? I'm not sure why they wouldn't if others are so hopefully it will be. Congratulations to Hallberg, I wonder if this means we'll see less of him in the ROH (and other venues) though? Either way a great step for him and wish him every success. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted March 3, 2020 Share Posted March 3, 2020 I think that’s terrific news wishing him every success will be sounding out Australian friends ( all into ballet as it happens!) later today. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannette Posted March 3, 2020 Share Posted March 3, 2020 Wonderful news! Congratulations to David Hallberg and The Australian Ballet. I’m sure that Hallberg is inspired by friend and mentor Michael Kaiser, as well as current Australian AD David McAllister and his team. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabine0308 Posted March 3, 2020 Share Posted March 3, 2020 Very happy for him and AUS ballet. Too bad it's so far away. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackdove Posted March 3, 2020 Share Posted March 3, 2020 Very best of luck to him. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amelia Posted March 4, 2020 Share Posted March 4, 2020 14 hours ago, JNC said: ... Congratulations to Hallberg, I wonder if this means we'll see less of him in the ROH (and other venues) though? Sadly, David’s retirement from dancing has been already announced. "Hallberg’s last performances as a dancer will be in 2021, when he will fulfil previous commitments, culminating in a farewell gala with American Ballet Theatre." https://www.gramilano.com/2020/03/david-hallberg-becomes-new-head-of-australian-ballet-farewell-gala-in-2021/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loveclassics Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 But he still looks so young! Has he got a portrait aging in an attic somewhere? it's amazing how dancers manage to look so youthful when they have such a physically hard life. Or is that the reason? Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophoife Posted March 6, 2020 Share Posted March 6, 2020 He's 37. I'm excited because he has been informally mentoring and coaching a number of the men in the company for several years now and the results are pretty good. He has the worldwide contacts an AD down here needs. Hopefully the company will be able to acquire some rep from choreographers such as Crystal Pite, and hopefully also he will continue to expand Alice Topp's opportunities, and maybe even follow Patricia Barker (RNZB AD) and Tamara Rojo's leads by programming all-female-created works. He couldn't really do less than the last 20 years in that regard. I'm also hoping the company will revisit some of the Béjart rep it used to do under the directorship of Maina Gielgud. To be brutally honest, if we the audience could have, say, a ten-year break from the Works Of Graeme Murphy, I think it would be of benefit to both us and the dancers. @jmb what do you reckon? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted March 7, 2020 Share Posted March 7, 2020 The feeling from some of my Oz ballet friends is that they are tentatively pleased but were hoping the Company would have an AD with more experience rather than a newby to the job but don’t mind Hallberg if it is a newby so to speak. I think some were hoping that the current AD of the Queensland Ballet might go got it. They think the Company could generally do with a bit of a push at the moment ( less politely expressed by a couple of friends 🙄) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted March 7, 2020 Share Posted March 7, 2020 (edited) 2 hours ago, LinMM said: The feeling from some of my Oz ballet friends is that they are tentatively pleased but were hoping the Company would have an AD with more experience rather than a newby to the job but don’t mind Hallberg if it is a newby so to speak. I think some were hoping that the current AD of the Queensland Ballet might go got it. They think the Company could generally do with a bit of a push at the moment ( less politely expressed by a couple of friends 🙄) I think that Sophoife makes a very good point about Hallberg's worldwide contacts. Those will surely be of benefit, as will the fact that he has spent time in Australia and feels comfortable there. I do, however, have my suspicions that he is among the younger directors eyeing bigger prizes eventually. But, in a way, that's fine if they do a good job where they are (or will be) initially. Edited March 7, 2020 by capybara Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted March 7, 2020 Share Posted March 7, 2020 Well when you take Tamara Rojo she was a "newby" in the AD job at ENB and therefore a bit of an unknown quantity at the time but has ended up doing an amazing job there one way and the other. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucinda Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 On 08/03/2020 at 01:13, LinMM said: The feeling from some of my Oz ballet friends is that they are tentatively pleased but were hoping the Company would have an AD with more experience rather than a newby to the job but don’t mind Hallberg if it is a newby so to speak. I think some were hoping that the current AD of the Queensland Ballet might go got it. They think the Company could generally do with a bit of a push at the moment ( less politely expressed by a couple of friends 🙄) I doubt Li Cunxin applied for the position. There is disappointment and frustration from many in the Australian ballet community that Mr Hallberg was chosen ahead of a prominent female ex principal ballet dancer with more management experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DD Driver Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 7 minutes ago, Lucinda said: I doubt Li Cunxin applied for the position. There is disappointment and frustration from many in the Australian ballet community that Mr Hallberg was chosen ahead of a prominent female ex principal ballet dancer with more management experience. I also understood that Li Cunxin was not interested. He has done great things with Queensland Ballet using his ballet , financial and management expertise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 27 minutes ago, Lucinda said: . There is disappointment and frustration from many in the Australian ballet community that Mr Hallberg was chosen ahead of a prominent female ex principal ballet dancer with more management experience. It’s about worldwide name recognition, contacts and reputation, I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 I think my friends were hoping that Li Cunxin might go for the job ..not that he actually went for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophoife Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 (edited) The three finalists for the job were Hallberg and two other men. Both Australian and both danced mostly overseas. Edited March 10, 2020 by Sophoife Took out the names of the un-chosen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DD Driver Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 Should that be said out loud Sophoife? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 11 hours ago, capybara said: It’s about worldwide name recognition, contacts and reputation, I guess. That certainly seems to be the way things are going, if the UK is anything to go by. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DD Driver Posted March 11, 2020 Share Posted March 11, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, alison said: That certainly seems to be the way things are going, if the UK is anything to go by. Yes! I was firstly a bit disappointed that an Australian woman was not selected. I can think of three worthy possibilities without much effort. However, one of those ( I was recently told) is very happy with her current success & impact (through her students), her work/life balance and being her own boss. So maybe that is another way to look at it. Edited March 11, 2020 by DD Driver 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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