SIMPLY STUNNING: Benedicte Bemet as Clara in a previous production of The Nutcracker by The Australian Ballet.
Camera IconSIMPLY STUNNING: Benedicte Bemet as Clara in a previous production of The Nutcracker by The Australian Ballet. Credit: The Advertiser

We’re in for a cracker as The Australian Ballet artistic director David McAllister bids adieu

Lisa WoolfordSunday Mail (SA)

MANY, many years ago, a little girl sat entranced at her friend’s ballet concert and fell in love with dance. She enrolled in the school the very next year and danced for a decade.

That little girl was me and I only hung up my shoes when the pressures of Year 12 took their toll. I was never going to be a prima ballerina, after all. I was happy with my decision, but it didn’t stop me from shedding a tear (or two), sitting in the audience watching my dance buddies performing without me.

STEPPING DOWN: Australian Ballet artistic director David McAllister.
Camera IconSTEPPING DOWN: Australian Ballet artistic director David McAllister. Credit: News Corp Australia, AARON FRANCIS/THE AUSTRALIAN

The Australian Ballet artistic director David McAllister has called time on his 20-plus year at the helm, announcing he’ll finish up at the end of 2020. He tells me, as we chat ahead of The Nutcracker’s Adelaide season next month, that he can’t be upset about it. It was his idea.

“I just feel it’s the right time for the organisation,” he says. “Twenty years is a long time in these sorts of jobs.

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“I’ve done everything I wanted — there’s always more you want to achieve, but I think it’s time to hand the reins on to someone else and for the organisation to have that spark of excitement with a new creative leader.”

And he will go out on a high, telling Watch another reason he pinpointed next year as his grand finale was a number of exciting ballets which have been in production for the past couple of years will come in to the repertoire.

“It was the perfect thing to be able to celebrate with these works,” David says. “I’m really excited about all of the repertoire for the next year, to be a culmination of my time at the ballet.”

And one of those tighly-held-under-wraps – “they’d kill me if I told you, Lisa” – productions will come to Adelaide in the traditional July slot.

“I know that my connection with the Ballet will always continue, obviously not as the director, but once you’ve been in this company you never truly leave,” David says.”The exciting thing will be when the new director is announced because, along with everyone else, I’m not going to know who that is. It will be a great thrill to find out. I will be watching from the sides and waving the flag and continuing to support the future of the company.”

I can’t help but wonder, if – like my Miss 16 who hung up her ballet (and tap and jazz and hip-hop) shoes prematurely at 13, before coming out of retirement, prompted by magic of The Australian Ballet’s Giselle – he’s truly gone, or just parking his ballet shoes for now.

Originally published as Calling time