TALK | 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Ballet

Title: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Ballet

Speaker(s): David McAllister

Moderator: Karen Koh

Event details

Date: 9 March (Saturday)

Time: 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm 

Venue: Fringe Jockey Club

Price: HKD 398

Language: English

Format: Talk

Category: Life Journey

Speaker Biography :

David McAllister was born in Perth Western Australia and started dancing at the age of 7. He trained for 10 years before being accepted to The Australian Ballet School in 1981, then joined The Australian Ballet in 1983, rising to the rank of Principal artist in 1989. He was awarded a bronze medal at the fifth International Ballet Competition in Moscow in 1985 and danced as a guest artist with the Bolshoi and Kirov Ballets, as well as the Birmingham Royal Ballet, The Singapore Dance Theatre, and The National Ballet of Canada. In 2001 he retired as a dancer and became the Artistic Director of The Australian Ballet, a job he held until his retirement in 2020, in that same year writing a memoir, Soar: A Life Freed by Dance with Amanda Dunn. He has created a number of ballet productions including The Sleeping Beauty and four children's ballets for The Australian Ballet and Swan Lake for the Finnish National Ballet. In 2023 he wrote Ballet Confidential and was the Interim Artistic Director of the Royal New Zealand Ballet. In 2024 he will be the Guest Artistic Director of the West Australian Ballet. He was awarded two Order of Australia awards, Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2004 and in 2021 a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC).

Event Description:

Here is your tell-all guide, an all-access pass for ballet lovers and the ballet-curious by internationally acclaimed dancer and former artistic director of The Australian Ballet, David McAllister. From toe-acting, to the perils of partnering and onstage/offstage romances, David answers in intimate detail everything you have ever wanted to know about ballet but was too afraid to ask. In this talk moderated by Karen Koh, David will share more about his background and how he got into ballet, what he loves about it, and what still intrigues him to this day. He’ll also reveal a few more secrets of ballet that most people just don’t know.

*Please note that photos and videos of participants may be taken during the activities, which may be used by the organiser and the major sponsor for educational and promotional purposes in any way deemed appropriate, including dissemination through printed and online channels. Participation in the programme will constitute the participants’ consent to the above arrangement.

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ABOUT HKILF

The Hong Kong International Literary Festival (HKILF) inspires the joy of reading by bringing the world’s writers and stories to Hong Kong’s diverse communities. A dynamic year-round programme and an annual festival offer dialogue, entertainment and perspective, while the Young Readers Festival (YRF) motivates students to engage with all aspects of the written word, improving communication skills while nurturing the art of writing and storytelling.

The annual festival features established and emerging writers from around the world, alongside local literary talents, in a programme that includes panel discussions, book talks, readings, workshops, walks, school programmes, performances, and more.

To find more, please visit our official website: https://www.festival.org.hk/

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Jockey Club Studio Theatre, The Fringe Club, 2 Lower Albert Road, Hong Kong, Hong Kong