Prism

  • Dance
  • The Australian Ballet

Three distinct works. One electric experience. 

A bold new triple bill, Prism brings together three distinct artistic journeys in one unforgettable program. Pairing visionary choreographers with iconic composers, Prism is an ambitious contemporary ballet performance unlike any other.  

Experience works from internationally renowned choreographers William Forsythe and Jerome Robbins alongside Australia’s own contemporary dance powerhouse Stephanie Lake. Paired with compositions by Philip Glass, James Blake, and J.S. Bach reimagined by Peter Brikmanis, Prism promises a striking and electrifying experience. 

Blake Works V (The Barre Project) - William Forsythe 

A kaleidoscope of movement.

The Barre Project was conceived at the height of the pandemic as an homage to the legions of dancers who, while holding on to any available piece of domestic furniture, attempted to sustain their professional abilities with at-home barre exercises. 

The project’s choreography contains no traditional arrangement of academic barre sequences. Rather, it is a rigorous display of the winding and unwinding kinetic logic that underlies the most fundamental elements of classical ballet’s vocabulary. 

Traditionally, the musical accompaniment for barre work has consisted of regularly metered excerpts of classical music repertoire. The composer, James Blake, also uses familiar time signatures to frame diverse facets of classic composition in his densely counterpointed structures. Blake’s musical erudition allows him to navigate between traditional compositional conventions and contemporary genres with sophisticated ease, delighting and exciting performers and audiences alike. 

New Work - Stephanie Lake 

After astounding audiences with Circle Electric in 2024, The Australian Ballet’s Resident Choreographer Stephanie Lake takes you beyond ballet’s boundaries with this brand-new work. 

Glass Pieces - Jerome Robbins 

Ballet’s urban heart. 

Dancer, choreographer, and storyteller Jerome Robbins captured the world’s attention with his ground-breaking choreography on the hit Broadway musicals West Side Story and Fiddler on the Roof. Known for his evocative style, Robbins spoke his truth through his ballets. With Glass Pieces, Robbins extends across genres, fusing slick urban movement with traditional ballet to create a style that is uniquely its own. 

Accompanied by Phillip Glass’ music from Glassworks and the opera Akhnaten, Glass Pieces is an expansive work of art that moves at an electrifying pace, embodying the pulsing heartbeat of New York City. 

Presented by The Australian Ballet

Event details

Artist information

Blake Works V (The Barre Project)  

Choreography
William Forsythe 

Music
James Blake, ‘Lindisfarne I’, ‘Buzzard & Kestrel’, ‘Lullaby for My Insomniac’, ‘200 Press’ Lighting design (Prologue) Tanja Rühl 

Lighting design
(The Barre Project) Tanja Rühl, based on original design by Brandon Stirling Baker 

Stage design 
William Forsythe 

Costume design
William Forsythe 

Staged by 
Jodie Gates and Noah Gelber 

Sound supervisor
Niels Lanz

Premiere: 10 May 2023, Ballet Company Teatro alla Scala, Teatro alla Scala, Milan, Italy.  

Originating from The Barre Project (Blake Works II), created and filmed in 2020 for its first broadcast on March 25 2021, on the CLI Studio Digital Platform www.clistudios.com 

Gass Pieces 

Choreography
Jerome Robbins 

Music 
Philip Glass, Glass Pieces (‘Rubric’ and ‘Façades’ from Glassworks, and excerpts from Akhnaten) 

Costume design 
Ben Benson 

Lighting design
Jennifer Tipton 

World Premiere 

Choreography 
Stephanie Lake 

Music
Peter Brikmanis, after J.S. Bach ‘Goldberg Variations’ 

Costume design 
Kate Davis 

Lighting design 
Bosco Shaw 

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Attending this event

Plan your visit

Address

Sydney Opera House
Bennelong Point
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia

Getting to the venue

The Opera House is a 7-10 minute walk from Circular Quay, and is easily accessible by car, train, ferry, lightrail, bus, bike and on foot.

Location and access

Joan Sutherland Theatre

The Joan Sutherland Theatre is located at the northern side of the foyer, to the left hand side of the stairs leading to the Concert Hall. Best accessed through the covered concourse. All Sydney Opera House foyers are accessible, with lifts to the main and western foyers. The public lift to all foyers is accessible from the corridor near the escalators on the Lower Concourse and also in the Western Foyer via the corridor on the Ground Level (at the top of the escalators).

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