Prism (The Australian Ballet) - 1 hour 53 minutes, including interval

Creative excellence and supreme artistry are the hallmarks of three short works that constitute The Australian Ballet’s new production, Prism.

The trio is decidedly modern, starting with Jerome Robbins’ Glass Pieces.

Photos by Kate Longley

It starts with urgency, as people wearing striking pops of colour criss-cross one another, as they walk purposefully across the stage.

Interspersed with that are three sets of dancers – initially two at a time, then four and six – dressed in pastel shades, performing balletic routines.

Stronger shades of colour are associated with the two principals who stamp their mark on the work.

So, it is that dancer, choreographer and storyteller Robbins fuses slick urban movement with traditional ballet, embodying the pulsating heartbeat of New York City.

It is accompanied by Philip Glass’ music from Glassworks and the opera Aknaten, realised by Orchestra Victoria.

Next, our focus is on the world premiere of preeminent choreographer Stephanie Lake’s Seven Days, which places the spotlight on seven dancers.

It is a reflection on fate and free will, seeing the world anew.

Initially positioned in a straight diagonal line, each of the artistes’ movements are perfectly in sync, one flowing from the other directly alongside and so on, down the line.

As they move further into the routine, they break away but invariably come back together in a tight knit circle, suggestive of camaraderie, covering each other’s backs.

The work is set to Peter Brikmanis’ reimaging of J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations and explores poetic tension, with wit (it has decidedly comedic elements) and verve.

After the break, there is a distressing element to Blake Works V (The Barre Project), which William Forsythe conceived at the height of the pandemic.

It is in composer James Blake’s musical accompaniment, which is moody and lurches from electronica to industrial sounds.

Of course, at the time, dancers were unable to come together and attempted to sustain their professional abilities with at-home barre exercises.

So it is that the handrail is a common thread, as they practice their routines, continually striving for perfection.

The traditional and contemporary explode in an incendiary cocktail.

Prism is a thoughtful collaboration of world class choreography, musical mastery, inspired costuming and evocative lighting design.

Performances are flawless throughout, with opening night dedicated to the memory of Garth Welch AM, a founding principal artist of The Australian Ballet.

As one of Australia’s most distinguished dancers, a gifted choreographer and teacher, he inspired generations.

His legacy lives on in the likes of the fine presentation I witnessed.

Just under two hours, including interval, Prism is on at Regent Theatre until 4^th October, 2025.