Fewer words, more heart: Wheeldon underwhelms in TAB’s Oscar

Ako Kondo as The Nightingale in Christopher Wheeldon's Oscar

Jarryd Madden as Oscar in Christopher Wheeldon's Oscar

Adam Elmes and Jarryd Madden in Christopher Wheeldon's Oscar

The Australian Ballet in Christopher Wheeldon's Oscar

Ako Kondo and The Australian Ballet in Christopher Wheeldon's Oscar

Sharni Spencer and Jarryd Madden in Christopher Wheeldon's Oscar

By Katie Lawrence, 10 November 2024

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“no complaints can be made about the dancing or the aesthetics of Oscar”

Reviewed at Sydney Opera House: Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney on 8 November 2024

Oscar (Christopher Wheeldon)

The Australian Ballet

David Hallberg, Director

Jean-Marc Puissant, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Opera Australia Orchestra

Jarryd Madden, Dancer

Adam Elmes, Dancer

Ako Kondo, Dancer

Sharni Spencer, Dancer

BalletBoyz: Still Pointless at 25 and still making it work!

Maggie Foyer, 13th May

The BalletBoyz present an entertaining programme of old and new works spanning the last 25 years – with stellar performances.

****1

Contemporary escapism at New York City Ballet

Carla Escoda, 1st May

A longtime NYCB fan favorite, Concerto DSCH by Alexei Ratmansky, meets the New York premiere of Christopher Wheeldon's Continuum. But the evening belonged to corps dancer Ruby Lister in Edwaard Liang’s Distant Cries.

****1

Atlanta Ballet shines in a mixed contemporary program

Rebecca Ehrhardt, 3rd April

Atlanta Ballet's Golden Hour program featured two world premieres and the Atlanta premiere of Christopher Wheeldon's Within the Golden Hour.

*****

NYCB: Ratmansky’s The Naked King is not satire, but good fun

Ivy Lin, 7th February

New York City Ballet presents a very entertaining quadruple bill which includes Alexei Ratmansky’s latest work, The Naked King, showing off the company’s comic talents.

****1

The Royal Ballet’s Like Water for Chocolate is sumptuous but complex

Amanda Jennings, 1st October

The Royal Ballet’s season opener, Christopher Wheeldon’s Like Water for Chocolate, is visually tremendous, very well danced but the many principal and soloist characters are difficult to keep up with.

****1

Ballet Nights makes an impressive and unforgettable Scottish debut

Kathy Elgin, 4th July

Ballet Nights is more than an evening of party pieces: it showcases emerging talent alongside older favourites and, in the case of this first Scottish outing, has an eye to local tradition.

****1

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Katie Lawrence

Katie Lawrence has a background in ballet, jazz, and contemporary, and spent much of her adolescence in the dressing room of dance eisteddfods. She is still mildly triggered by the smell of hairspray. She is now a regular in Sydney's dance audience crowd and can often be found at Sydney Dance Company and Tanya Pearson adult classes.

Fewer words, more heart: Wheeldon underwhelms in The Australian Ballet’s Oscar