West Australian Ballet
They also tour throughout regional Western Australia, nationally and internationally, and provide choreographic workshops, an education program and other community activities.
She fell in love with the city, declaring that the beautiful coastline reminded her of the French Riveria and later stated "When I came to the airport in little Perth at the end of the world, I put my feet on the ground, I looked around and I said loudly and strongly, 'This is where I'm going to live, and this is where I'm going to die ... this is my place'".
Response was good, but there were no finances to support the venture until Eric Edgley, who ran His Majesty's Theatre as a private commercial enterprise, put up 400 pounds for the first production.
In 1986, Madame Nadine stated:[7] ...My first encounter with the WA Ballet Company was very early in 1953 the year I arrived in Perth.
In 1981, Garth Welch's world premiere of Peter Pan gave West Australian Ballet its very first sell-out season.
[8] Ted Brandsen took the helm as artistic director in 1998 and won the Australian Dance Award for choreography in 2000 for his Carmen which was later recorded and sold by ABC television.
In 2007 Ivan Cavallari was appointed artistic director and efforts started to be made to greatly increase the facilities and size of the company.
[8] In 2013, Cavallari left to return to Europe and Aurelien Scannella was appointed the new artistic director, his first year of programming beginning in 2014.
In 2016 WAB premiered a re-staged version of the traditional production of The Nutcracker, choreographed by Principal Dancer Jayne Smeulders CitWA, Sandy Delasalle, and Aurelien Scannella with design by Charles Cusick Smith and Phil R Daniels.
[9] In 2024, West Australian Ballet entered a new era with David McAllister AC joining the company as Guest Artistic Director.
In April 2012, during WAB's 60 year celebrations, the company moved all operations and rehearsals to the West Australian Ballet Centre in Maylands.
The Federation Warehouse style of architecture, characterised by its hipped galvanized iron roof and protruding brick piers and plinths, can still be seen on the Sixth Avenue side of the building.
[10] The institute derived income from chair caning, mat and brush making but was heavily reliant on public donations and government grants.
The building was renamed the West Australian Institute and Industrial School for the Blind, but by 1936 was faced with severe overcrowding and workers started refusing to work in the harsh conditions.
[10] To rectify the situation, in 1937 the Lotteries Commission and West Australian Government contributed to the expansion of the building – adding to and encompassing the existing infrastructure to create the L-shape which remains today.
The building remained unoccupied, except for squatters, for several years before West Australian Ballet decided it would make the ideal location.
Under careful guidance of architect Catherine Watts from Sandover Pinder, and led by construction manager Probuild, the new centre was carved out of the building – maintaining as much of the heritage elements and art deco flourishes as possible.
The existence of the ballet centre is owed to the generous support of the building industry, State and local government, and corporate and private donors.
