The stars are in alignment

With so many stars either in Australia or on their way, this is far from a winter of discontent for ballet lovers.

The Queensland Performing Arts Centre has announced that principals David Hallberg, Paloma Herrera, Daniil Simkin, Cory Stearns, Gillian Murphy and James Whiteside, and soloist Misty Copeland, will all perform in the American Ballet Theatre season in Brisbane in August and September.

No sign, yet, of any performances by Roberto Bolle but it’s likely the ABT principals on tour will also include Polina Semionova and Veronika Part.

While Copeland is not yet a principal, she’s up there with Hallberg when it comes to media coverage. She has a dancewear line, M by Misty, and has recently written two books, one for children and her memoir, Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina.

The Australian Ballet has also announced that three guests will be dancing in La Bayadere, choreographed by Stanton Welch. The Australian premiere of this production begins with a Melbourne season on 28 August with Sydney to follow in November.

Stuttgart Ballet’s Elisa Badenes and Daniel Camargo will guest star during the Melbourne season and American Ballet Theatre’s Gillian Murphy, will guest in Sydney.

Tamara Rojo gave the first of two performances in MacMillan’s Romeo & Juliet with the Queensland Ballet on 27 June.

Rojo, now the artistic director of English National Ballet, was an exquisite Juliet, partnered by Matthew Lawrence as Romeo, with more star power from Daniel Gaudiello, the Australian Ballet principal, as Mercutio. I’m reviewing this production for dancelines.

Carlos Acosta and Steven McRae will guest with the Queensland Ballet next week and coincidentally, in Brisbane, both will be promoting their books, Acosta’s first novel, Pig’s Foot and McRae’s “year-in-the-life-of” book of photos of his performances with the Royal Ballet.

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