Houston Ballet to Tour Australia; Premiere Australian Debut of ROMEO AND JULIET, 6/30

HOUSTON, TEXAS - Houston Ballet will make a historic trip to Australia for performances at the Arts Centre Melbourne State Theatre June 30 - July 9, 2016. Houston Ballet's first tour to Australia consists of 12 performances of Artistic Director Stanton Welch's critically acclaimed Romeo and Juliet. For ticket information visit www.australianballet.com.au.

"I am thrilled that Houston Ballet will travel to Australia for the first time," said Mr. Welch. "It's almost like everything has come full circle with the company performing in my homeland. Australian audiences are so knowledgeable and enthusiastic about dance and I look forward to having the chance for Houston Ballet to show Melbourne what we do here in Texas. I am sure Australian audiences will appreciate and understand the commitment and artistic excellence that we strive so hard for here."

Created in February 2015, Houston Ballet performed the world premiere of Stanton Welch's Romeo and Juliet in Houston. The production is set to the exquisite score by Sergei Prokofiev and designed by renowned Italian designer Roberta Guidi di Bagno. Audience and critic reactions to the spectacularly crafted ballet has been overwhelmingly positive.

Karen van Ulzen, reviewing for Dance Australia on March 1, 2015, praised Mr. Welch's Romeo and Juliet by stating, "Rhythmic sword fights, crowd scenes that vibrate and ravishing partnering that captures the essence of the love story." Other international press agreed with her assessment. Kaija Pepper from Dance International wrote, "When the pas de deux are so sweet, the cast of characters so engaging and the design so fetching, there is every reason to welcome another Romeo and Juliet to ballet's Shakespearean canon."

Local critics also agreed that Mr. Welch's interpretation of Romeo and Juliet deserved accolades. Molly Glentzer, dance critic for the Houston Chronicle wrote, "Traditional but swift-moving, it's the work of an agile storyteller who has matured as a dancemaker." Adam Castaneda of the Houston Press said, "Stanton Welch has created another treasure to add to the Houston Ballet's story repertoire."

Houston Ballet and The Australian Ballet has maintained a close relationship since Mr. Welch started as Houston Ballet's Artistic Director in 2003. He holds the title of Resident Choreographer of The Australian Ballet and set up an artistic exchange program where the two companies have exchanged artists. Most recently, in November and December of 2014, The Australian Ballet sent principal artists Leanne Stojmenov and Daniel Gaudiello to Houston to perform as the leads in The Nutcracker, and Houston Ballet sent principal dancers Karina Gonzalez and Connor Walsh to Sydney to perform in The Australian Ballet's performances of Mr. Welch's La Bayadère. Mr. Walsh has also previously performed with The Australian Ballet in December 2007 as a guest artist in Peter Wright's version of The Nutcracker and in exchange The Australian Ballet's Andrew Killian came to Houston that same year to perform in Ben Stevenson's version of The Nutcracker. In September 2004 Australian Ballet principal artist Robert Curran performed as the Prince in several performances of The Sleeping Beauty and principal artist Sara Webb completed the exchange that summer by performing in Australia as the lead in La Fille mal gardee. Ian Casady was selected as the first Houston Ballet dancer to participate in the exchange when he traveled to Australia to perform in Mr. Welch's Velocity in 2003.

Houston Ballet's tour to Australia builds on the company's growing list of international engagements. Since 2000, Houston Ballet has toured to London at Sadler's Wells, at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, Ottawa, Canada, in six cities in Spain, in Montréal, at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., in New York at City Center and The Joyce Theater, at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris, and Hamburg, Germany.

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