Pas De Deux: A Muse Shines, A Veteran Bows Out
The Sunday Age
Sunday June 3, 2007
MARGOT FONTEYN was Frederick Aston's. Janet Vernon has long been Graeme Murphy's. Now it's principal artist Madeleine Eastoe's turn to slip into the famed ballet role of muse.
The choreographer in question is Stephen Baynes, who is creating a new work for Eastoe, Constant Variants, as part of a triple bill, New Romantics, which opens in Melbourne on June 22.Like most of his works, it's built around one dancer. His 2004 piece, Unspoken, had Steven Heathcote taking that role. This time, Eastoe is his inspiration."She was almost the raison d'etre for this. I really wanted to work with her and, from a movement point of view, the movements I wanted to get, I thought, I want her."The choreographer had worked with Eastoe before but never given her a major role. He describes her as having a rare combination of abilities he's only seen in a handful of dancers. "She's immaculately classical in terms of finesse, but there's an almost gymnastic quality to it. It doesn't look Betty Ballet; it looks sinewy and athletic."At 29, Eastoe has reached the number one position for a dancer, but she's not resting on her laurels. "Sometimes I get into a panic," she says. "I have to remind myself that I'm responsible enough to get to this position."I don't really see myself as a muse. But I really can relate to Stephen's style, and I think he knows that. "I think I have an energy that doesn't go hand in hand with this kind of work but has maybe brought out something different."While Eastoe steps into the limelight, a veteran will slip from it. After 25 years in the company, principal artist Steven Heathcote will perform his final lead role in After the Rain, another work in New Romantics. Christopher Wheeldon's work was created as the final dance for New York ballet veteran Jack Soto, so it is fitting that it will be Heathcote's last bow.The 42-year-old dancer credits his own longevity to the support he's received from audiences, but he only realised the extent of his following after announcing his imminent retirement. His Brisbane appearance, amid a series of luncheons for fans, drew more than 250 excited patrons. Melbourne saw a figure closer to 650. "It blew me away - people who told me that they saw my very first performance."Everybody loves to see emerging talent and follow it. Same with sport. You'll see people who follow AFL, they'll spot the rookie and go, 'This kid's got something'. And they'll follow him right through to the end of his career, when he's a veteran."In 212 decades, the company's longest-serving principal artist has never had a major injury. "I've had a number of niggling chronic injuries that just hang around and annoy you. At the moment I've got a hip and a back playing up a bit, and my right ankle has basically run out of padding, so landing from jumps can be a problem." Like football, ballet's a young bloke's game.? The Australian Ballet's production of Paquita is at the State Theatre from June 7 to 18. ? New Romantics is at the State Theatre from June 22 to July 3.
© 2007 The Sunday Age