Ben Stevenson’s production of The Nutcracker has a very personal connection for the Queensland Ballet’s artistic director Li Cunxin, who first performed it for the Houston Ballet in 1979.
In 1978, Stevenson invited the Chinese dancer to take up a six-week scholarship to America. When Cunxin defected, Stevenson offered him a position in the company.
Stevenson would go on to serve as Houston Ballet’s artistic director until 2003, and during his career he worked with Margot Fonteyn and won several choreography awards.
The original version of The Nutcracker was choreographed by Marius Petipa after Alexandre Dumas’s translation of the 1815 German story and set to Tchaikovsky’s compositions. Stevenson’s version comes to life with costumes by Desmond Heely and a set by Thomas Boyd.
Type of Event: Dance
Venue: Queensland Performing Arts Centre
Cnr Melbourne St and Grey St
South Brisbane QLD 4101
Date: from 9 to 23 December 2016
Price: from $65
Website: Queensland Ballet
Telephone: (07) 3840 7444
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