Preview: photos and video of Christopher Wheeldon’s ballet “Oscar” with the Australian Ballet
Ahead of tonight’s World Premiere of Christopher Wheeldon’s new ballet Oscar at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre (9 September 2024) images and footage have been released of the new full-length work.
Wheeldon has created a new ballet inspired by events in Oscar Wilde’s life, including the ‘celebrity’ trial and the love affair with Bosey (Lord Alfred Douglas), as well as vignettes from The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Nightingale and the Rose.
Oscar will be live-streamed to a global audience from the Sydney Opera House on 19 November.
Oscar© is Artistic Director David Hallberg‘s first full-length commission for The Australian Ballet since his appointment in 2021. David Hallberg says,
In my time as Artistic Director of The Australian Ballet, I want to tell stories that aren’t ‘normally’ told in classical ballet. The life Oscar led was colourful to say the least. The ballet world started with heteronormative stories and fairytales, and it never really changed, even though there have been gay people dancing and creating work since the beginning of the art form.
In my performing career, I never had the chance to dance a gay character or dance in a male pas de deux which expressed love or desire. I would have loved the opportunity to express how I am as a gay man, on stage. To have a diverse expression of love is paramount to connect with all.
Christopher Wheeldon says,
To build the story of a seminal cultural figure from scratch – and through dance – is no mean feat, and I am honoured that The Australian Ballet will be the company to bring Oscar to the stage for the very first time.
OSCAR – dress rehearsal photos
Graham Spicer, aka ‘Gramilano’, is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the Danza in Italia column for Dancing Times magazine. Graham was the historical advisor on Codice Carla, the 2023 documentary on Italian ballerina Carla Fracci.
Graham also works as a dance photographer, and his photos have appeared in many books, theatre programmes, and magazines, including Dancing Times, Dance Spirit and Ballet2000, as well as all the major Italian newspapers.
He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.
