David Hallberg Joins The Cast In The Australian Ballet's KUNSTKAMER Live-Streamed Globally, June 10

Streaming live from the Arts Centre in Melbourne and available to audiences throughout the world on June 10th, The Australian Ballet presents Kunstkamer, one of the most ambitious contemporary dance productions ever to appear as part of the company's repertoire. Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased at www.australianballet.com.au/the-ballets/live-on-ballet- tv.

Created originally for the pioneering dance company Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT) in celebration of its 60th anniversary in 2019, until now Kunstkamer had never been performed by any other company. The landmark production, hailed a "masterpiece" and a "triumph" by critics, was conceived by some of the most in-demand choreographers working in ballet today, former NDT Resident Choreographers Sol León and Paul Lightfoot, and NDT Associate Choreographers Marco Goecke and Crystal Pite.

In a rare appearance on stage by the company's Artistic Director, audiences will have the opportunity to see David Hallberg perform alongside The Australian Ballet's dancers in a solo role in the critically-acclaimed production.

Kunstkamer, which translates from Dutch as 'chamber of art' or 'art cabinet', draws inspiration from The Cabinet of Natural Curiosities, a 1734 book in four volumes by Dutch pharmacist, zoologist and collector Albertus Seba.

At the intersection of science and art, a cabinet of curiosities brings together fascinating objects from around the world, displaying seemingly disparate items in ways that give them new meaning.

The result is a two-act contemporary ballet comprising many short movements, woven elegantly together with key dance motifs and recurring characters. This artfully arranged selection of pieces wittily interrogates the possibilities of dance, from the most poetic pas de deux to the mesmerizing, intricately choreographed group scenes involving the entire company of 80 dancers.

Kunstkamer features music by Beethoven, Janis Joplin, Schubert, Arvo Pärt, Joby Talbot and Ólafur Arnalds, among others. Set design by Sol Leon and Paul Lightfoot places the action within a vast space enclosed by grand neoclassical-style facades, with dancers entering and exiting through many different doors on two levels. Elements of song, film, and spoken word add further texture to the world of curiosities created in this mysterious hall.

Artistic Director David Hallberg said: "I chose to bring Kunstkamer because it showcases the rich diversity of the dancers of The Australian Ballet.

"Kunstkamer will show audiences what else is possible in dance, seen through the most modern and compelling form of expression and I am thrilled to usher in a new style of dance with everyone on stage, in the theatre, and to audiences all over the world through our live-stream. It is a work not to be missed." David Hallberg said.

Kunstkamer streams live from Arts Centre Melbourne at 7:15pm (AEST) Friday June 10, and will be available to stream for 48 hours from the start of the live-stream. Tickets can be purchased at www.australianballet.com.au/the-ballets/live-on-ballet-tv.

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