- 49 minutes ago
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:06Hi, Virginia.
00:08David, hello.
00:09Oh, it's lovely to talk to you.
00:11You've been an utterly driven dancer,
00:15pitiless in your self-criticism.
00:17Was that necessary to get you to the top?
00:20Absolutely necessary.
00:22I, in fact, probably don't know any other way.
00:25I just had this innate drive and dedication as a kid,
00:29so I think that's absolutely imperative to get to where I got.
00:33And was it fun up there?
00:36It was a lot of fun, but it was a lot of stress,
00:41and I think I now realise the sacrifice it took.
00:46I guess I did fly very close to the sun,
00:49and the fall was fast and quick,
00:52but I think it just afforded me this moment
00:55to completely rebuild myself.
00:58Not only as an artist, but as a person.
01:02Well, your new chapter is leading the Australian ballet,
01:05so I want to see you in action.
01:07Ha! I cannot wait for you to see me in action.
01:10I'll see you there.
01:11Thank you, Virginia.
01:15I'm Virginia Trioli,
01:16and I've spent my life paying attention to creative Australians
01:20and wondering, what is going on in that wild mind of theirs?
01:26In this series, I'll showcase artists and performers
01:29at the peak of their powers
01:31and tell the story of their triumphs, their stumbles,
01:34and why they make the glorious work we love so much.
01:38David Holberg has been described
01:40as the Rudolf Nureyev of his generation,
01:43a tap-dancing kid who rose to the top of classical ballet
01:47and danced on all the world's great stages,
01:49including as a rare American member
01:52of the famed Bolshoi Ballet.
01:54Now, as the artistic director of the Australian Ballet,
01:58he's taking the company that he cherishes
02:00for deeply personal reasons
02:02to exalted new heights.
02:05I'm thrilled to be unashamedly celebrating
02:07the art of making,
02:09because we are a country of so many
02:11brilliant, creative types.
02:29David, hello.
02:30Virginia.
02:32Great to see you.
02:33Nice to see you.
02:34And to meet you here.
02:34I know this building means a lot to you.
02:36Oh, it means so much to me,
02:38but it means so much to everyone.
02:40I mean, it's such an iconic building.
02:43It is the building.
02:44Tell me about your first glimpse
02:45of the Sydney Opera House.
02:47Well, my first glimpse was up in the air.
02:50I was in a plane.
02:51I was glued to the window,
02:52and I just saw this amazing sight,
02:56you know, poking out of the harbour.
02:58And, of course, I was awestruck.
03:00But then I realised at one point
03:03I was going to dance on this stage.
03:05This great American dancer
03:07was coming to dance on the Australian stage.
03:09Yes, and how special it was, you know,
03:12for someone like me to come to Australia
03:15as a foreigner
03:16and to be able to hopefully light up
03:20the stage for Australian audiences.
03:22And now to direct the entire company.
03:25Huge responsibility.
03:27Thank you for that.
03:30Is there an Australian-ness that you connect to,
03:33a quality to the dance that's Australian?
03:36Do you know, it's the humanness.
03:39It's the warmth.
03:41That's something that I was connected to
03:44from the very beginning
03:45with the dancers of this company,
03:47is that the warmth that they exude
03:49to their audiences.
03:50And I think, as well,
03:52that the audiences give it back
03:54to the performers on stage.
03:56It's like a reciprocal kind of Australian warmth
03:59that I've always loved.
04:01Do you ever get the temptation
04:02to jump back on stage yourself?
04:05Those days are long gone, Virginia.
04:08Unless you want to take my hand
04:09and join me on that stage.
04:11You and me on stage together.
04:11Let's do it.
04:12I think we should.
04:13All right, come on.
04:31What does it require from a great dancer
04:33to really perform and bring out their best
04:36on the world's great stages?
04:38The journey is fraught
04:41with a lot of self-doubt
04:43and dedication and commitment.
04:46But, you know, that sacrifice,
04:48we would all admit, is worth it.
04:50Because, yes, we have the opportunity
04:53to dance on this amazing stage
04:55in this amazing theatre.
04:57But it is a true journey.
04:59And it takes everything out of you
05:02to get here.
05:06Like most elite performers,
05:08David's passion for dance
05:10began as a child.
05:12All right, David,
05:13who is this beautiful little cherub here?
05:17Just a bit of a gangly, awkward,
05:21little suburban kid.
05:23My brother's next to me,
05:24mom and dad, of course.
05:26And here we are in our bow ties.
05:28You know, I think I loved a bow tie
05:29as a young kid.
05:30You were a dandy from day one.
05:32I was a dandy on day one.
05:35But, you know, it's,
05:36that was when I first started
05:39finding the love of dance,
05:41the passion of dance.
05:42How did it come to you?
05:45Fred Astaire.
05:46I idolised him.
05:48I saw him on the,
05:50on the TV screen.
05:52Yeah.
05:53And for some reason,
05:54I was just absolutely transfixed.
06:08But, yeah, my first love was tap.
06:14He was 13 when he actually said,
06:18I'm going all in with ballet.
06:20But in the meantime,
06:23we really tried to combine
06:26what I call normal American boy activities.
06:30But David's interest in dance
06:32was so strong.
06:33When we actually moved to Phoenix, Arizona,
06:36he was thrilled
06:37because we were closer to California,
06:39closer to Hollywood.
06:41And it took us quite a long time
06:44to realise that he was exceptional.
06:49So how did you start studying dance?
06:51Here you are as a young dance student.
06:53And this is,
06:53this is a more modern idiom here.
06:55Look at you,
06:56the only bloke in class there
06:58amongst all the girls.
06:59This picture actually reminds me
07:02of my community.
07:03I mean, this was my,
07:04this was my group.
07:05This is who accepted me.
07:07At night,
07:08at jazz class,
07:10at tap class,
07:11I was allowed to,
07:13to be who I wanted to be
07:14with my community.
07:16You were relentlessly bullied at school.
07:19Relentless.
07:20In fact,
07:21there's really no way
07:22to diminish that
07:23or,
07:24or find any humour in that.
07:26It sounded unbelievably awful.
07:29It was awful.
07:31It was confusing.
07:34I was about nine years old,
07:3710 years old.
07:38And I was standing in line
07:40with maybe a friend
07:41to,
07:42to go into class in the morning.
07:44And out of nowhere,
07:46three kids came up to me,
07:47three guys,
07:48and they said,
07:50you're a girl.
07:52And I was like,
07:54what?
07:55And they're like,
07:55you're a girl.
07:56And you know what girls do?
07:57They wear perfume.
07:59And they took a bottle
08:00and dumped it on me.
08:02Tipped an entire bottle
08:03of perfume on you?
08:04Cheap perfume,
08:05and I just remember
08:09being doused in this perfume
08:12and just feeling so humiliated.
08:16The scars run deep.
08:18You hold your scars
08:20from childhood
08:20for your entire life.
08:23We were disgusted,
08:26angry,
08:27supportive.
08:28I mean,
08:29we,
08:30I think we just kind of
08:32went into warrior mode.
08:33The bullying
08:34had already started
08:35in Minneapolis
08:36with all the little
08:37hockey players.
08:39Yeah.
08:39And the hockey kids
08:40would bring their skates
08:42to show and tell
08:43and David would bring
08:44his tap shoes.
08:45So that was,
08:46you know,
08:46that's when it started.
08:47And the advice was
08:51to protect him
08:53by finding the environment
08:55that he was safe in.
08:57You were saved,
08:59in a way,
09:00by this lovely gentleman,
09:02Mr. Han.
09:04Mr. Han was,
09:07he gave me my foundation.
09:10He recognised my talent
09:12in classical ballet
09:13before I even knew
09:14I wanted to be
09:15a ballet dancer.
09:16And so I slowly transitioned
09:19from tap and jazz
09:20to strictly ballet.
09:22And once I was ready,
09:25I put the tights on
09:26and he just drilled me.
09:30He showed me
09:32the foundations
09:33of classical ballet.
09:34Had I not had him,
09:36I don't know
09:37how I would have shaped
09:39as a dancer.
09:40That teaching worked for you.
09:42That severe drilling,
09:44to use your phrase,
09:45that landed with you.
09:47It did.
09:48He was a drill sergeant.
09:50Yeah.
09:50And I responded
09:51so well to it.
09:52And, you know,
09:54I know training
09:54has changed.
09:55I know not everyone
09:57responds to that
09:58sort of teaching,
10:00but I absorbed it
10:02like a sponge.
10:04As his confidence grew,
10:06David received
10:07an unexpected offer
10:08that would change
10:09the course of his life.
10:12And so this is your
10:13audition tape
10:14for the Parasopper.
10:20Do you like the technique
10:21you're seeing there?
10:22Honestly,
10:23it's clean,
10:24but I had no idea
10:26what I was doing
10:27and if it was good.
10:28I really didn't.
10:30Look at that.
10:30I just heard
10:31the commands
10:32from Mr Han
10:33and he was supportive
10:35of me auditioning
10:36for the Parasopper School.
10:38But just look at
10:39the naivete
10:41in that face.
10:42It's, you know,
10:44I'm just
10:46so green.
10:51But he got such
10:52the cold shoulder
10:53from the dancers there.
10:55Talk me through that.
10:55He was already
10:58toughened up.
10:59Not that he was tough,
11:01but he had experienced
11:03bullying
11:04and rejection
11:05and he
11:07didn't think
11:08it would happen there.
11:09He had some
11:11really mean
11:11things happen
11:13and said to him
11:14all along.
11:16And he wrote
11:18these postcards.
11:19Did he tell you
11:19about his postcards?
11:20You tell me
11:21about the postcards.
11:22He wrote the postcards.
11:24So I reviewed
11:25some of the postcards.
11:27Here's my
11:28postcard book.
11:29And it was a pretty
11:32I'm lonely
11:33and I'm being
11:33you know,
11:34they don't like me.
11:36And so when he came
11:37home for Christmas,
11:38we gave him the option.
11:40We said,
11:40it sounds like
11:41it's very tough
11:43and sometimes
11:44you're not happy
11:45and we want you
11:46to know that
11:47you can make a choice
11:48to stay.
11:49You don't have to go back.
11:50And he was furious
11:52that we even
11:53suggested that.
11:56And so
11:57I'm not sure
11:58this was the right
11:59parenting
12:00but I said
12:01okay,
12:03then enough
12:04with the lousy
12:05postcards.
12:07You change your tone.
12:09But David
12:10had only ever
12:11wanted to be
12:12at one company.
12:13The renowned
12:14powerhouse
12:15of classical
12:16and 20th century
12:17dance,
12:18the American
12:18Ballet Theatre.
12:19And when I moved
12:21to New York
12:21it's as if
12:23the dream
12:24had come true
12:24but I was
12:27blindingly ambitious
12:30and I wanted
12:31to become
12:31a star.
12:33So what did you
12:34learn there?
12:34How was your
12:35craft honed
12:37and changed
12:37again at ABT?
12:39There is
12:41an enormous
12:42transition
12:42from
12:43a school
12:45kid
12:45training
12:46like a soldier
12:47like I did
12:47to a professional
12:49making your own
12:50decisions as an artist
12:52having your own
12:53discipline.
12:54There's not a teacher
12:54behind you
12:55saying do this
12:56do that.
12:56So it wasn't
12:58so much
12:58in terms of
12:59technique
13:00but it was
13:00more in terms
13:01of performance
13:02in terms of
13:03how I'm going
13:04to be a professional
13:04on stage
13:05for an audience.
13:10Misty,
13:10you were young
13:11dancers together
13:11at the American
13:12Ballet Theatre.
13:13When did you
13:14realise that he
13:15was something special?
13:16From the moment
13:17I saw him
13:18there's an intention
13:19and there's a focus
13:21that's different
13:22from a lot of
13:23young dancers
13:23that David had
13:24apart from
13:25his beautiful lines
13:26and his feet
13:27and all of those
13:28things
13:28that I was
13:29immediately drawn to.
13:31What was he like
13:31as a partner?
13:32You know
13:33David is
13:36someone I think
13:38who is always
13:39really curious
13:40and eager
13:41to learn.
13:46It's important
13:47to remember
13:47just how
13:48incredibly successful
13:50you were though.
13:50You were
13:51a celebrated
13:52dancer
13:52and artist
13:53and then
13:54the Bolshoi
13:55Ballet
13:56comes calling
13:57to an American
13:58dancer.
13:59That never
14:00happens.
14:01It never
14:02happens.
14:03But it
14:04happened.
14:05It happened
14:06and I
14:07was
14:10completely
14:11taken off
14:11guard
14:12when it was
14:13announced that
14:13I was going
14:14to the Bolshoi.
14:15I mean
14:15you know
14:15it was
14:17all over
14:17the news.
14:18It was
14:18you know
14:19it was
14:20I just
14:21felt this
14:22immense
14:23pressure.
14:24in this
14:25very traditional
14:27performance
14:28and production
14:29of the
14:29Sleeping Beauty
14:30from the
14:30Bolshoi Ballet
14:31it clearly
14:32requires from you
14:33all of your
14:34most life
14:35artistry
14:36in order
14:37to bring
14:38to life
14:38the boldness
14:39that you
14:40talk about
14:40and the grand
14:41steps
14:42and those
14:42incredible
14:43turns
14:43that you've
14:44got to do.
14:44Shall we
14:45have a look?
15:11How does that
15:11make you feel
15:12watching that?
15:13How did I
15:14ever do that?
15:16Also
15:17I did that
15:18on a sprained
15:18ankle.
15:20This was
15:21the telecast
15:22you know
15:23going to
15:24cinemas
15:24around the
15:24world
15:25Grandma
15:25was watching
15:26me in
15:26Indiana
15:28and my
15:29second jump
15:30in my
15:31entrance
15:31I sprained
15:32my ankle.
15:37So
15:38I was
15:39doing that
15:40through the
15:40sheer grit
15:41of pain
15:42and
15:44determination
15:46but
15:47I knew
15:48the moment
15:49that was
15:50the moment
15:51and I
15:53could not
15:54fail.
15:54You had to
15:55deliver
15:55because this
15:56is the
15:57sequence.
15:58I had to
15:58deliver.
16:02David was
16:04just a
16:05one-off.
16:06He was a
16:06prince from
16:07I think he
16:07probably came
16:08out of the
16:09you know
16:09the birth
16:10canal as a
16:11ballet prince.
16:12He just
16:13had this
16:14incredible
16:14elegance
16:15and
16:18intellect.
16:19He was
16:19a really
16:20curious and
16:22clever dancer
16:23and every
16:24time I saw
16:25him dance
16:25he just got
16:26better and
16:26better.
16:27So he
16:28really
16:29it wasn't
16:30quick.
16:30He really
16:31worked hard
16:32and so when
16:33he did
16:34finally emerge
16:36it was a
16:37fully formed
16:38artist.
16:45To me
16:46he is just
16:47the epitome
16:48of ballet
16:49in the best
16:51way.
16:52I think he
16:52just brought
16:53an elegance
16:53and a power
16:54and an
16:55honesty
16:55to all
16:57of the
16:57roles that
16:57he
16:58portrayed.
17:10David was
17:11an
17:11international
17:12star.
17:13In one
17:13year he
17:14flew 75,000
17:16miles dancing
17:17with all the
17:18great companies
17:19including as a
17:20guest of the
17:20Australian
17:21ballet.
17:21But something
17:22wasn't right.
17:25So you're
17:25riding high
17:26and you're
17:27dancing the
17:27great roles
17:28on all the
17:29great stages
17:29but there
17:30was that
17:31sprain,
17:31there was
17:31one other
17:32sprain as
17:32well and
17:33at this
17:33point you
17:34start to
17:34feel that
17:35persistent
17:35nagging
17:36itch.
17:37Well I
17:38think the
17:39ambition I
17:39had in my
17:40career.
17:40Yeah.
17:41I wasn't
17:42going to let
17:42anything get
17:43in the way.
17:44Even
17:45injury until
17:46I couldn't.
17:47That's that
17:47blind driven
17:48aspect of being
17:50you and
17:51being a
17:51dancer.
17:52Blind.
17:52And it
17:55got me to
17:56great places
17:57and I'm
17:58so, you
18:00know, I'm
18:00so honoured
18:01to dance
18:02where I
18:02danced but
18:03I did
18:04pay an
18:05ultimate
18:05price.
18:07David had
18:08a torn
18:08deltoid
18:09ligament in
18:10his left
18:10foot.
18:11He underwent
18:12surgery but
18:13after his
18:13rehabilitation
18:14failed to
18:15improve him
18:16David reluctantly
18:17went back for
18:18a second
18:18surgery.
18:20Shockingly
18:20that didn't
18:21work either.
18:23I could
18:24barely walk
18:24and I was
18:25living in
18:25Manhattan,
18:26you know,
18:27trudging up
18:28and down
18:28subway stairs
18:29and on
18:30crutches and
18:32I really
18:33felt like,
18:34oh my
18:35God, you
18:36never think
18:37you'll be the
18:38one to have
18:38a career-ending
18:39injury.
18:40And I felt
18:41like I had
18:42my career in
18:43my hands and
18:44it was slipping
18:45through my
18:45hands.
18:48David had
18:48run out of
18:49road, but
18:50he hoped
18:51that one
18:51ballet company
18:52at the
18:52other end
18:53of the
18:53world might
18:54be his
18:55salvation.
18:56I had
18:57guested with
18:57the company
18:58before, fell
18:58in love with
18:59the Australian
19:00Ballet, the
19:00company, the
19:01country, and
19:02everyone knew
19:03that the
19:04medical department
19:06at the Australian
19:07Ballet was the
19:07best in the
19:08dance world.
19:08He rang and
19:10said, I want
19:11to come and
19:11work with, you
19:12know, your
19:12team, and I
19:13said, yep, when
19:15can you get on
19:15a plane?
19:16How soon can
19:17you get on
19:17that plane?
19:18When he
19:19arrived, I
19:19mean, first
19:20of all, he'd,
19:20you know, like
19:21done a buzz
19:22cut on his
19:22head.
19:23He looked
19:24like, he
19:25looked, you
19:25know, not
19:26like the
19:27David Halberg
19:27that we all
19:28knew.
19:29He wasn't a
19:29prince anymore.
19:31Well, yeah, he
19:31was sort of, you
19:32know, grunge
19:33punk prince.
19:36The work was
19:37going to be
19:38hard.
19:38And for it to
19:39succeed, David
19:41had to surrender.
19:42In all, David
19:44was in rehab in
19:45Melbourne for
19:4514 months and
19:47off the stage
19:48entirely for
19:49two and a
19:49half years.
19:51When I started
19:52in the studio, I
19:53closed all the
19:54windows.
19:55I went into a
19:56shell.
19:56I didn't want
19:57anyone watching
19:57me.
19:58And this was
19:59this kind of
20:00resistance of,
20:01like, I don't
20:01want people to
20:02see me in this
20:02state.
20:04And when I
20:05finally opened
20:05the blinds, I
20:06had to completely
20:07give myself
20:08over to the
20:09team and find
20:11a new way of
20:13dancing.
20:14And they got
20:15you back on
20:16your feet.
20:16And you got
20:17yourself back on
20:18your feet with
20:19them.
20:19And you returned
20:20to dancing.
20:21I did.
20:22I put in the
20:22work, but I
20:24could not have
20:24done it without
20:25them.
20:25Did it make you a
20:26better dancer?
20:30dancer?
20:30I was never the
20:31same.
20:32It made me
20:34better in terms
20:37of knowledge.
20:39But I know
20:42now that I was
20:44never the same
20:45dancer.
20:47I've never
20:48doubted that David
20:50would come back in
20:51a way that he would
20:54still make an
20:54impact.
20:55To me, it was
20:56whether or not he
20:56would want to,
20:58whether or not that
20:59was what he thought
21:00his next step should
21:02be.
21:02Is it to come back
21:03and continue on this
21:05path or is it to do
21:06something else?
21:07And he's thinking
21:08about what else can I
21:10do with what dance
21:11has given me?
21:20The next turn in
21:21David's phenomenal
21:22career came about
21:24when his good friend
21:25and artistic director
21:26of the Australian
21:27Ballet made a big
21:28decision.
21:30David McAllister
21:31shared with me that
21:32he was ready to
21:33leave after 20
21:35years.
21:36And he took me
21:37aside and said,
21:38I think you're the
21:39next person to run
21:40this company, and I
21:43like the Bolshoi
21:44offer.
21:45I was in shock.
21:49I went through the
21:50interview process, put
21:52my best foot forward
21:54and was given the
21:56phone call and
21:58without question
22:00accepted.
22:01Did it feel in part
22:03like repaying a debt?
22:05It absolutely did.
22:06It felt full circle.
22:08It felt like now is
22:11my time to give to
22:12this company because
22:13this company gave me
22:15so much.
22:16When he was
22:17appointed, I just
22:18went, oh my God,
22:20this is going to be
22:21exciting.
22:22And from the very
22:24first day, it's just
22:25been joyous, actually,
22:28to see the company do
22:30all those things that I
22:31knew was the reason
22:33why I stopped.
22:33I had to go to let
22:35someone get in and
22:36really just take these
22:38beautiful dancers and
22:39shape them in a
22:40different way.
22:42Under David's
22:43leadership, the
22:44Australian ballet is
22:45producing some of its
22:46most critically acclaimed
22:47work, balancing the
22:49classics against much
22:50more challenging
22:51repertoire.
22:53For just a year after
22:54you started and you
22:56brought to Australia
22:56Kunstkammer, which is
22:58the landmark piece that
22:59the Netherland Dance
23:00Theatre had commissioned
23:02for themselves for their
23:0360th anniversary, and it
23:05was choreographed by four
23:06great choreographers,
23:07wasn't it?
23:07Yeah.
23:08Paul Lightfoot, Sol Leon,
23:10Crystal Pite, and Mark
23:11Ogeke.
23:11So this is an incendiary
23:14piece, and I've got to
23:15say, I'd never seen them
23:17work to such a standard of
23:19energy and attack and
23:21strength of line.
23:32Those four choreographers
23:35are on the bucket list of
23:36almost every ballet dancer.
23:38Huh.
23:38They were just like, we're
23:41doing what?
23:43It was rapturously
23:44received.
23:45That must have felt very
23:46gratifying, because you
23:47were taking the company and
23:48yourself out on a limb with
23:50that one.
23:50I was, but I was
23:53convinced that the dancers
23:54would love the ride, and
23:56those gut instincts were
23:58correct.
23:59And then off you went to
24:01your commissioning pieces
24:03about Oscar Wilde,
24:05Christopher Wealdon's piece
24:06for the Australian Ballet,
24:08which was so unusual because
24:10it was an alternately tragic
24:13and then joyous
24:15representation of queer life
24:17within the context of
24:20ballet, which is always, you
24:22know, relentlessly
24:23heterosexual.
24:24I played a straight man my
24:26entire career.
24:27Yep.
24:27In my personal life, I am not
24:29a straight man.
24:30I was never given the
24:32opportunity to express that
24:35kind of love on stage.
24:36Yeah.
24:37And the dancers of the
24:39company were so proud to
24:43embody, portray queer
24:47experiences on stage, honesty
24:50on stage.
24:54How would you characterize the
24:55company of dancers under
24:56David?
24:57I just think that he's got a
24:59great eye for talent, and he's
25:02got a really unique ability to
25:05just impart his knowledge to
25:09the dancers in a way that
25:10doesn't make them look like
25:11they're trying to be him.
25:21From first we go, demi-plié.
25:25Close, other leg.
25:26Close, roll through.
25:28Six, seven, eight.
25:35Side, and first, and fifth.
25:37In this room, is it about
25:38honing the skills?
25:40Is it also about somehow
25:41becoming an artist in the
25:43practice room, or does that
25:44happen on the stage?
25:46Through rehearsal, that
25:48happens.
25:50But there's always this moment
25:52on stage that you can never
25:53find in the studio, and that's
25:55the moment of live performance.
25:57Yeah.
25:57And that's the beauty, I think,
25:58of this art form, is that it
26:00only happens once.
26:02But that can only get you
26:03there by all of these infinite,
26:06intricate little steps that will
26:08take you there that start at the
26:10bar with the tendu, with the
26:11plié.
26:12Show me your plié there, David.
26:14Starts with that, and then all
26:16builds up into the greatest leap.
26:19When I was being coached at Bolshoi by
26:23this fabulous coach, Sasha Vetrov, he
26:26told me he wants to see me exert 120%
26:31in the studio.
26:32So then when you get on stage, you're
26:35so accustomed to this adrenaline that
26:39you can just simply let go, let
26:41yourself go.
26:46On the other side, though, what about
26:49it do you miss of that height of
26:51performance?
26:52I miss the adrenaline after a show.
26:59I was terribly nervous as a performer.
27:03I was in my mind, even on stage, will
27:05I get this, here comes this lift, here
27:07comes this turn, here comes the
27:08solo.
27:09It was always with a sense of dread.
27:12But when I would finish a show and the
27:15show went relatively well, it was that
27:18adrenaline and, if I'm honest, a cold
27:22beer in the dressing room after.
27:24David, no wonder you ended up in
27:26Australia with an attitude like that.
27:29I know, I know.
27:30Aussie before I knew I was Aussie.
27:33Are you surprised he's gone on to
27:35become an artistic director of a
27:36company himself?
27:38I am not.
27:39I am not at all.
27:40I just feel like David has always been
27:43a leader.
27:44I can just remember from the time we
27:46were teenagers and the way that he
27:48walks in a room, the things that
27:51matter to him and how he speaks up and
27:53kind of advocates for his people, you
27:56know, as dancers.
27:57I started that first applause.
27:59Yeah, you deserved it.
28:02And I think what he's done, though, he's
28:05he's bought that, you know, layer to the
28:07company, but they haven't lost that
28:11exuberant Australian energy.
28:14You know, you still can tell it's the
28:16Australian ballet, but it's the Australian
28:18ballet with a bit of buff and polish.
28:23I just see what I inherited and I'm
28:26just twisting it and altering it and
28:29asking for more and asking for
28:31different.
28:33So we have gone off the edge a bit,
28:36but I don't want this company to ever
28:39lose that sense of warmth and and
28:44Australian humility really on the stage to
28:48their audiences.
Comments