The Dream - Australian Ballet

Overview

If Black Swan didn't make the ballet world look tough enough, the boys from The Dream are sure to fix that. The Australian Ballet has been putting its dancers through their paces ahead of the company's latest production.

A fascinating rendition of Shakespeare's iconic A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Dream is part of a triple bill of works by leading 20th-century choreographer Frederick Ashton at his spectacular best. Expect magic and musicality, and did we mention men en pointe? That's right, to play the role of Bottom the donkey, the male dancers will have to make like the ladies and dance on their toe-tips (a technique they've learnt in just 12 weeks, as dancer Christopher Rodgers-Wilson described to us for our feature).

Bringing Shakespeare's most magical work to contemporary audiences, think of this as the perfect first-taste of ballet for anyone who's never dared step foot inside the State Theatre.