Advertisement

A life of dance and artistry comes together in Brisbane’s new ballet mecca

For Queensland Ballet Artistic Director and renowned author of Mao’s Last Dancer Li Cunxin, a confluence of two historic events for his beloved company have brought his life into beautiful perspective.

May 30, 2022, updated Jul 26, 2022
Li Cunxin inside the refurbished Queensland Ballet HQ, the Thomas Dixon Centre in West End. (Image, Supplied)

Li Cunxin inside the refurbished Queensland Ballet HQ, the Thomas Dixon Centre in West End. (Image, Supplied)

This year marks his tenth anniversary at the helm of Queensland Ballet, and next month is the official opening of Queensland Ballet’s newly renovated home at the Thomas Dixon Centre – fulfilling a transformation he envisioned from when he first started as Artistic Director with the company.

“The stars have aligned beautifully for the two things to be happening around the same time – it is quite nicely aligned now which is beautiful,” Li said.

“Sometimes I still feel like I’m living a dream and it’s indeed a beautiful dream.

“You know, obviously I had wonderful success as a dancer, success as a stock broker, as an author. But I have to say one of the most rewarding, most satisfying chapters of my life would have to be directing the Queensland Ballet.”

Reflecting on a decade of directorship at the Queensland Ballet, Li said he is filled with gratitude.

“Oh, it is so satisfying to help the young generation of dancers to realise their dreams, their potential, to be able to bring them some of the most beautiful ballets, such as Manon, for example, later this year and Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Dracula; we danced last year, which was a huge success,” he said.

“For them to work with world class choreographers, to help them to become the world class dancers that they have the potential to become and to help to build a brand new school with the world’s best training system, which is the Russian Vaganova Training system, to bring that best system here.

“And to be able to see the positive effect, the positive impact ballet is making for our society in Queensland, throughout Queensland, not just Brisbane.

“I could not have dreamed that one day I would become a director, be able to pass on my knowledge and to be able to foster, nurture and help a new generation of stars to go on making their own contributions in the dance profession.

“So I think it’s incredibly satisfying for me to see that my hard work has translated into even a more magical effects in the lives, in the lives of others.”

After numerous Covid delays, cancellations and postponements to the refurbishment timeline, Li now feels the timing is right to open the Thomas Dixon Centre with Greg Horsman’s contemporary reimagining of the classic children’s tale of Peter and the Wolf from June 24 until July 2.

“It’s going to be truly a world class building,” Li said.

“I have travelled around the world and throughout my career I’ve seen some spectacular buildings for dance, but this one will have to be way up there amongst one of the world’s very best.”

Li ‘s vision of celebrating the city’s skyline has come to life in the transformation of the historic Thomas Dixon Centre, with its light filled studios to be used not only for Queensland Ballet but also for community dance classes, and for hire by independent artists, community groups and arts organisations.

He said there are a number of factors that make the centre so unique on the world stage, including that the building has qualified for the highest international standard under the WELL certification system, which measures the impact of the built environment on human health.

“There is really no dance facility, no other dance building in the world I’m aware of, that qualifies for this highest, wellness focused qualification,” Li said.

“For example, the air quality, the lighting quality, the environmental aspect, responsible aspect all has to qualify for that standard.

“We have our own theatre there. That’s, a rarity for any dance company. We have six studios, all absolutely spacious studios.

“But most importantly, with the theatre and six studios, you are going to see tremendous creativity and energy coming out of those dance spaces.”

The centre’s June opening will also herald the start of a new expanded dance class timetable to take advantage of the extra space available – in what Li Cunxin hopes will become a cherished cultural space and hub for all of Brisbane.

InQueensland in your inbox. The best local news every workday at lunch time.
By signing up, you agree to our User Agreement andPrivacy Policy & Cookie Statement. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

“We would like to think this will be a centre for a lot of performing arts companies, particularly small to medium because the theatre size won’t be able to host very big companies,” he said.

“I think this centre is truly going to be the magnet that attracts talents and creatives and artists over many, many years to come.”

Another part of the ten year celebrations of Li Cunxin’s directorship is his specially selected season “Li’s Choice” at QPAC from June 10 to 25, featuring his favourite works from his time with Queensland Ballet.

He said it was incredibly difficult to choose three exceptional works from all the beautiful ballets he has overseen, including 40 brand new works created especially for the company.

“But in this case I really followed my heart saying, ‘Alright, which three works really stood out and I like to put them together as a program’?

“And I came out with these three works; one by Natalie Weir, `We Who are Left’, which is a deeply emotional war-themed ballad based on Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem music, which is so powerful with voices, with singing and all that.

“And the second piece is Greg Horsman’s Glass Concerto. Again, both these two pieces were originally created for the company. Greg Horsman’s Glass Concerto is created for Phillip Glass’s music, and is incredibly athletic, incredibly physical and exciting.

“It just feels, feels like you are out of breath by the time you finish watching it and it puts the dancers to that ultimate physical endurance test, but it is so breathtaking.

“And then the third one is really iconic ragtime music by the king of ragtime, Scott Joplin, the ballet is called `Syncopations’ by one of the best choreographers of our time, Sir Kenneth McMillan. And luckily both my wife and I had a privilege to work with him before he passed away.”

 

 

 

 

Local News Matters
Advertisement

We strive to deliver the best local independent coverage of the issues that matter to Queenslanders.

Copyright © 2024 InQueensland.
All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy