19th Century Repertoire
A Time for Tradition

When Giselle was first staged in Paris in 1841, the production led ballet away from its courtly origins and into a new romantic era. Audiences were introduced to more ethereal themes such as those of nature and the spirit world. Great ballerinas of the period created roles such as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake and Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, which have since become benchmarks in the career of a classical dancer.

When establishing the criteria for The Australian Ballet's repertoire, Peggy van Praagh made the inclusion of nineteenth century works a priority. Her own production of Coppélia in 1979 remains an active part of the company's repertoire today and encouraged future artistic directors to shape the identity of the company through their own interpretation of the classics.

Maina Gielgud's production of The Sleeping Beauty in 1984 called upon Australian designer Hugh Colman to create a much lighter, open-air atmosphere than that of the original. Gielgud's own additions to Marius Petipa's choreography provided an opportunity to showcase the strength of the company's male dancers.

Graeme Murphy's Nutcracker was commissioned by
The Australian Ballet in 1992. He re-interpreted the
traditional narrative of The Nutcracker to tell the story of Australia's Russian dance heritage and in doing so added a distinctly original work to the company's repertoire.

The universal themes and dramatic quality of the nineteenth century ballets have made them popular with audiences the world over and ensure that they remain at the heart of The Australian Ballet's classical repertoire.