Former Canberran Paul Knobloch, 39, was appointed ballet master of The Australian Ballet earlier this year after a long international career in contemporary and classical dance. Knobloch returned to his home town on Friday with the company's touring production Storytime Ballet: The Nutcracker. This condensed and narrated version of the Tchaikovsky ballet, choreographed by the company's artistic director, David McAllister, is intended to introduce young children to ballet. It opens at the Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre on Saturday.
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The production, cast from the ranks of the Australian Ballet in a specially designed production with new costumes, has been touring since November. Knobloch said, "So many people have been inspired by it."
Knobloch himself began dancing when he was 12, inspired by seeing Mikhail Baryshnikov, on television. He began at the Canberra Dance Development Centre. When he was 16. he said, "I realised I could carve out a career at this" and received a scholarship to the Australian Ballet School. From there he went on to a dance career that included dancing the Nutcracker Prince at the English National Ballet and "a dream come true", dancing on the Paris Opera stage with Bejart Ballet Lausanne.
Now, although not retired from dancing, he said he had moved more into choreography and into imparting what he's learned to new generations of dancers.
Among them are Kelsey Stokes and Charlotte van der Hoek, both 21. They are two of the dancers who alternate in the principal role of Clara. Stokes also dances the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy, a part she said was technically quite a difficult one.
Both have enjoyed the experience of touring and performing for enthusiastic - and often vocal - young audiences. Van der Hoek said at one performance when the Nutcracker was about to come to life a child called out loudly, "He's going to be the Nutcwacker!" and she had to turn her head away from the audience slightly: "I had a little giggle, it was very cute."
For the New Zealand-born Stokes, who came to Australia as a teenager to further her dance studies, her most memorable moment on tour was a very personal one and happened after a performance.
"There was one girl who recognised me, she was about four or five and asked me if I'd been Clara in the show. She gave me a hug and told me I was beautiful. It was really special and inspiring."
Storytime Ballet: The Nutcracker is on at the Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre until January 24. canberraticketing.com.au or 62752700.
