Perth Festival review: WA Ballet returns to Quarry Amphitheatre with Incandescence: Ballet At The Quarry

Female representation is being prioritised at WA Ballet in a move that would make the Maylands-based company’s late founder Kira Bousloff proud. As incoming artistic director Leanne Stojmenov oversees her first performance season at the helm, two of the four choreographers on the Incandescence: Ballet At The Quarry program are WA Ballet dancers, who each made their dazzling solo mainstage choreographic debut at City Beach’s Quarry Amphitheatre on opening night, February 6. Solo artist Polly Hilton’s Paper Moon and principal artist Chihiro Nomura’s Night Symphony Colours sat alongside Once And Future by The Australian Ballet’s former resident choreographer Tim Harbour and London-born creative Ihsan Rustem’s title work, Incandescence, for a radiant evening of world premiere classical and contemporary beauty. Dancing beneath the night sky as part of a Perth Festival summer tradition, the entire cast honoured each choreographer’s vision with remarkable aptitude and refinement. Harbour has returned to WA Ballet for the first time since 2009, choreographing the energetic and emotionally versed Once And Future to a vivid soundscape of the same title by Ulrich Muller. Not one to shy away from tackling life’s big questions, his philosophical work about existence filled the expansive stage as the dramatic undertaking took audiences on a spirited ride. Inspired by the magic of childhood dreams, Hilton’s Paper Moon continued her choreographic voice uncovered during the ballet company’s intimately staged Genesis seasons, while the soloist delightfully propelled her artistry with duet and trio work during moments of space and stillness. Neutral coloured costumes, including beautiful corsets, reflected the limestone walls of the venue and the use of multiple props – a crown, an oversized pair of scissors, shadow puppet cutouts and illuminated bell skirts – contributed to a great sense of whimsy, childhood wonder and playfulness. Having also previously choreographed for Genesis during her decade dancing with WA Ballet, Nomura has brought an exquisite piece of ballet to the stage in Night Symphony Colours, with pops of brightly hued costumes and classical showstoppers to match. It was a glorious display of talent in terms of both Nomura’s choreographic skills and the company’s rising stars who performed the piece with grace and joyfulness to IV: Allegro Vivace from Symphony No. 2. Rustem’s Incandescence not only marked the award-winning choreographer’s Ballet At The Quarry debut, but he did so in only his second creation with dancers en pointe from a repertoire featuring more than 60 works. Harnessing the technical prowess of the dancers, the evening’s epic titular and final performance, set to a soundtrack of songs including Back To Black and Heart Of Glass, fused form and fluidity to a gleaming shiver-inducing success. 4.5 stars Incandescence: Ballet At The Quarry is at Quarry Amphitheatre, City Beach until February 28.