The story takes place in Naples where Pulcinella is a local rogue with an eye for the girls. Rosetta, Isabella and Prudenza are infatuated with him, much to the irritation of their boyfriends and Pulcinella's wife, Pimpinella. One night, the boyfriends lie in wait for Pulcinella and beat him soundly. To escape, Pulcinella falls down 'dead' and the men sneak guiltily away, leaving the 'corpse' to be discovered by their girlfriends. Meanwhile, Pimpinella, having caught Pulcinella flirting once too often, persuades her friends to disguise themselves as Pulcinella and pester the girls, to teach them a lesson. When the girls and their boyfriends see the fake Pulcinellas, they are convinced they are seeing ghosts. Pimpinella arrives, the fake Pulcinellas reveal themselves, and the real Pulcinella re-appears. The lovers ask forgiveness, and everyone celebrates.

The story takes place in Naples where Pulcinella is a local rogue with an eye for the girls.

Pulcinella

The enchanting, magical ballet, The Sleeping Beauty, performed by the inimitable Bolshoi Ballet. 

David Hallberg made his debut with the Bolshoi dancers with this dream-like journey through magical kingdoms, jewel fairies and, of course, a handsome prince who rescues his true love. 

With Tchaikovsky’s timeless score and sumptuous staging, this production is every bit as luxurious and grand as fans have come to expect from the Bolshoi Ballet.

David Hallberg made his debut with the Bolshoi Ballet for this magical production of The Sleeping Beauty

Sleeping Beauty

Nothing lasts forever. In this poignant dance short by filmmaker Ramón Verdugo, a couple confronts the inevitable fading of their relationship. 

Inspired by the Japanese concept of ‘Mono no Aware’, which captures the emptiness associated with acknowledging the impermanence of life, this moving dance piece focuses on the quiet and devastating moments of limbo as a couple acknowledges that their love will not last.  Shot on the captivating set of Orca Studios, this production uses a virtual landscape to transport the couple through space and time - from lush landscapes of budding love to the stark emptiness of growing apart.  


Nothing lasts forever. In this poignant dance short by filmmaker Ramón Verdugo, a couple confronts the inevitable fading of their relationship. 

Aware

Celebrate the life and legacy of ballet icon Rudolf Nureyev. Widely regarded as one of the greatest ballet dancers, Nureyev’s contributions to the world of ballet forever changed the art form. The Nureyev Legend and Legacy Gala features a selection of excerpts that represent pivotal moments from Nureyev’s career performed by today’s leading ballet stars. From his mesmerizing Le Corsaire solo to spellbinding duets from his partnership with Margot Fonteyn, this gala is an authentic homage to Nureyev’s artistic brilliance.  

Celebrate the life and legacy of ballet icon Rudolf Nureyev with the Nureyev Legend and Legacy Gala. 

Nureyev: Legend and Legacy

When the world came to a stop in 2020, there was still dance. World-renowned choreographer Wiliam Forsythe teamed up with singular talents like Tiler Peck to bring together exhilarating performances that perfectly captured the mood and intensity of the pandemic. 

The Barre Project (Blake Works II) also includes performances by Lex Ishimoto, Roman Mejia and Brooklyn Mack.

Tiler Peck is one of the dancers in William Forsythe’s pandemic production, The Barre Project.

The Barre Project

The New York City Ballet, with its collection of extraordinary dancers and unique repertoire, is one of the most prestigious dance companies in the world. This exceptional production, performed in Paris after eight years away, revolves around three great French composers who inspired NYCB founder George Balanchine: Charles Gounod, Maurice Ravel and Georges Bizet.  

The four ballets performed, choreographed from 1925 to 1980, perfectly encapsulate Balanchine's genius and his very own neoclassical style. They also provide a particular insight on the bonds that tied Balanchine to France. What is known today as Walpurgisnacht Ballet was a ballet choreographed for the opera Faust (Gounod) at the Paris Opera in 1975. It premiered as an independent piece in New York in 1980. Sonatine, set to a music by Maurice Ravel, was created by two New York City French principals, Violette Verdy and Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux. La Valse was originally composed by Ravel for the Ballets Russes and Serge Diaghilev, who was then exiled in France, shortly before Balanchine entered the company. Symphony in C (Bizet), better known as Le Palais de Cristal, premiered at the Paris Opera. A spectacular tribute to Balanchine, beautifully served by the breath-taking technique of these American dancers, who rank today among the best in the world.

The New York City Ballet returns to Paris to perform four Balanchine ballet set to works by three French composers.

New York City Ballet in Paris

A brilliant double bill from The Royal Ballet featuring Cathy Marston’s The Cellist, and a joyful revival of Jerome Robbins’ 1972 dance showcase, Dances at The Gathering.  

The Cellist is inspired by the moving true story of cello superstar Jacqueline du Pré, whose career was suddenly cut short by her multiple sclerosis diagnosis. Choreographer Cathy Marston delicately weaves du Pre’s passionate story into a piece that has been hailed as a ‘joyfully giddy tribute’ (The Guardian). In Marston’s masterful interpretation, du Pré’s cello ( Marcelino Sambé) comes to life as steady dance partner and a faithful first love, even as du Pré (Lauren Cuthbertson) falls madly in love with conductor Daniel Barenboim (Matthew Ball).

The ultimate piano solo ballet, Jerome Robbins’ Dances at The Gathering is a pure dance showcase.  Set to Chopin’s beloved piano music, this modern classic features five couples dancing in a series of breathtaking pas de deux and effervescent ensemble numbers, no plots, no roles, just dancers, music, and movement.

A brilliant double bill from The Royal Ballet featuring Cathy Marston’s The Cellist, and a joyful revival of Jerome Robbins’ 1972 dance showcase, Dances at The Gathering. Watch now.

Dances at a Gathering - The Cellist

Angelin Preljocaj's dance piece, 'Annunciation,' artfully portrays the profound moment when the Virgin Mary learns she is carrying the Messiah.  

Preljocaj's innovative choreography focuses on an intimate encounter between Mary and the Archangel Gabriel, set against a minimal soundtrack of laughing children, religious choirs, and harsh electric static. This sensual piece explores the symbolic complexities of the Annunciation, a key religious event, focusing on Mary's inner world and the disruption caused by immaculate conception.  This dance piece goes beyond traditional religious representations, creating a visceral experience of the very act of conception.  

Angelin Preljocaj's dance piece, 'Annunciation,' artfully portrays the profound moment when the Virgin Mary learns she is carrying the Messiah. 

Annonciation

Writer Laura Esquivel’s modern Mexican tale of passionate and forbidden love comes brilliantly to life with The Royal Ballet. Artistic Associate Christopher Wheeldon ( Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland) captures the layered richness of Esquivel’s incredible family saga, Like Water for Chocolate. Royal Ballet Principals Francesca Hayward and Marcelino Sambé shine as the star-crossed Tita and Pedro, and composer Joby Talbot’s original score springs to life in the hands of Mexican conductor Alondra de la Parra. Full of dramatic energy and magical storytelling this production is a dazzling new contemporary classic.  

Writer Laura Esquivel’s novel, Like Water for Chocolate, comes brilliantly to life with The Royal Ballet. Watch now. 

Like Water for Chocolate

The Royal Ballet’s In Her Hands is part of Marquee TV’s free Summer Shorts series, shining light on new and alternative productions, plus hidden gems. 

Starring Natalia Osipova, the production is set in Paris, 1892, and is inspired by the life and work of French sculptors Camille Claudel and Auguste Rodin. 

Set to the haunting melody of Fauré’s Elegie in C Minor Op24, the production includes choreography by the Royal Ballet’s Valentina Zucchetti.

The Royal Ballet’s In Her Hands stars Natalia Osipova and reflects on the relationship between French sculptors, Camille Claudel and Auguste Rodin.

In Her Hands

The Australian Ballet presents La Sylphide, in a production by Erik Bruhn after August Bournonville’s nineteenth-century original. A ballet in two acts, La Sylphide tells the tale of the Scottish dreamer James, who is fascinated by a woodland sprite and spurns his fiancée to follow her. Intent on capturing the ethereal beauty for his own, he accepts the help of the vengeful witch Madge, who leads him to his downfall.

The Australian Ballet presents La Sylphide, in a production by Erik Bruhn after August Bournonville’s nineteenth-century original.

La Sylphide

The Merry Widow ballet is an adaptation of Franz Lehár's romantic operetta The Merry Widow. Originally commissioned by The Australian Ballet and premiering in November 1975

The Merry Widow ballet is an adaptation of Franz Lehár's romantic operetta The Merry Widow.

Merry Widow

Set outside of place and time, Graeme Murphy’s Romeo & Juliet is a transcendent ode to the timeless love story. 

Spanning multiple locations, vividly realized by set designer Gerard Manion and fashion designer Akira Isogawa, this striking ballet centers on the universal tale of love overcoming adversity. 

With nuanced performances from principal dancers Madeline Eastoe and Kevin Jackson, this unique take on the classic love story was filmed at the Sydney Opera House.

Graeme Murphy reimagines Romeo and Juliet for a striking ballet filmed at the Sydney Opera House.

Romeo and Juliet

Although largely humorous with a healthy sense of irony, the ballet tackles a fundamentally serious theme: the search for one’s better half. In a world where authenticity is eroded by convention, finding the perfect partner is no small feat, and Shakespeare’s play remains as relevant as ever. Rejecting male dominance within the couple unit, Jean-Christophe Maillot chose to focus on what’s vital in a romantic relationship.

Although largely humorous with a healthy sense of irony, the ballet tackles a fundamentally serious theme: the search for one’s better half.

Taming of the Shrew

Shakespeare’s great romance gets a magical reimagining through the power of dance with Christopher Wheeldon’s The Winter’s Tale. 

Released to widespread critical acclaim, the Royal Ballet’s 2014 production is a masterful, modern narrative ballet which includes powerful designs by Bob Crowley and music by Joby Talbot. 

Now widely considered a modern classic, the ballet follows the destruction of a marriage through consuming jealousy, the abandonment of a child and a seemingly hopeless love. Yet, through remorse and regret – and after a seemingly miraculous return to life – the ending is one of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Christopher Wheeldon’s critically-acclaimed production of The Winter’s Tale for the Royal Ballet.

The Winter's Tale

The romantic ballet by Coralli and Perrot returns in the revival of Yvette Chauviré

Paquita

The Australian Ballet

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